Seven Days
by Barn Owl Girl
Summary: What would you do if you learned that you had only a week before you'll die? 7 is challenged with this question when she's attacked and has seven days left to live. But the question remains, will she realize how she feels about 9 before it's too late?
1. Beast

**A/N: Ok, this will be my second full length 9 story!** **Thanks to everyone who voted, but I decided to write this one first. I will probably still use tose other plot ideas, just later. **

**If you're worried about the rating, it's T because I'm too afraid that I'll get in trouble if I rate it anything under. There's a bit of violence and maybe some mature matter later on.**

**Sorry about the summary, I just love writing them in that sort of mysterious fashion.  
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**The motivation for this story popped into my head one night, when I was thinking about 9 and 10 (for those of you who've read my other stories, you know what I'm talking about) discussing 10's extra piece. I thought, _what if 10 discovered that she was going to die because of it? _Then, I realized that that meant another whole story, so I turned it into this one. **

** And yes, this chapter has 9x7! :D Finally!  
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**I haven't quite decided whose perspective to write from yet, and I switched in this chapter, but I'll hopefully have my mind made up by the time I write the next chapter. Also, this is my first time writing from 9's POV, so I hope I portray him and 7 well. I'll admit, in this chapter, 7 was acting a little out of character all ready, so hopefully I'll get better at writing about her.**

** DISCLAIMER: I don't own _9 _or any of it's associated content.**

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><p><em><strong>Seven Days<strong>_

_**Chapter 1 – Beast**_

7 had been out scouting, it hadn't really been much. She'd wandered around for the past half an hour, occasionally rooting through piles of debris from the war. Ever since her five friends have died, she'd felt like there was an empty hole inside of her. She missed them a lot, even though it had only been two weeks since their souls vanished into the sky. Now, she explored with 9 to pass the time. Unfortunately, today, he'd been too busy with some new project of his. She really enjoyed his company, and would've liked someone to talk to. She tested the resistance of a short pole, wondering if she could make another spear out of it. She bent it a bit, and it snapped right in half. She threw it back over her shoulder, muttering, "Lousy piece of…" She trailed off, as a towering shadow was suddenly visible on the ground in front of her. Gripping her spear tightly, she slowly turned around. Behind her, stood a Beast. It had one red eye, mounted on a stock that rotated around as it watched her. Its body slightly resembled some sort of giant bug, with six robotic legs. Each of its legs was tipped with three needle toes, which were splayed out on the ground. It didn't seem very deadly, but any machine was a bad machine. 7 charged toward the bug-like creature, bearing her spear in front of her. She swiped it at the Beast's cordlike neck, but all it left were a few scratches. The beast reared up, bringing one of its needle feet down on her, each of the three needles skewering her. She struggled to get free, but the three spots where the beast had penetrated her fabric began to tear as she moved. The bug lifted its opposite foot; then carefully used one needle finger to pull the thread out of 7's seam on her chest. She screamed a bit and tried to grab hold of its needle, but two new needle toes shot down and pinned her arms to the ground. Once the machine had each of her limbs stuck to the ground with a needle finger, it used two more of its digits to open her chest. It examined her insides before prying a small piece of metal off its body. It placed the metal inside 7, right below her voice box. 7 cringed as she felt the metal of the small chunk fuse with her internal skeleton. "I don't know what you did," she choked out, "But you're going down!" With new energy, she ripped her arms from its grasp, tearing her fabric in the process. Ignoring her rips, she lashed out and grabbed a hold of her spear, which she dug into the joint where the eye stock connected to the body. In a crowbar like motion, she popped the eye stock right off. The machine wretched a little bit, stumbling back and releasing 7 completely before tripping over and lying still. Once 7 was sure it was gone, she screamed. She was now covered with tears, one on each limb, and her entire chest ripped open. She collapsed down, worried that any more movement would just make her injuries worse. So, she sat there for a while, crying a bit in pain from where the Machine had ripped her fabric and scratched her skeleton. She finally dragged herself up, then hobbling miserably along, she made her way back to the Library.

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><p><em>9's POV...<em>

Something bright penetrated the usual darkness of my sleep. There were a few flashes, followed by darkness, and another couple of flashes. I flailed my hand a bit, pushing away whatever it was that was flashing. Something poked me in the cheek, so I rolled over and pulled my blanket up over my head. I groaned as I felt something poke me in the small of my back. "Not right now," I muttered, pushing away whatever was trying to wake me up. I suspected the twins. They had the terrible habit of waking me up at the crack of dawn, and they thought this was funny! There was another series of flashing in front of my face, and they tugged at the blanket that I'd pulled up over my head. Now, both twins were flashing furiously, sending out seemingly random bunches of flashing. "I can't see you," I mumbled, closing my eyes tighter. Finally, it seemed that the twins had reached the end of their patience. I felt two sets of small hands dig into my back, and I was pushed out of my bed. I slammed into the ground with a noticeable thump. "Come on, you guys," I cried, standing up. "It's not funny anymore!" But when I looked at them, I saw no humor. Only fear. "W-what happened?" I stuttered, worried to find out. 3 came over and grabbed me by the arm and began to drag me towards the entrance to the Library. "Hey, what are you—" I cut myself off at what I saw. "Oh… oh, no…" I ran out towards the entrance, scared at what I might find. And when I turned her over, my fears were confirmed.

It was 7.

And she was dead.

Many rips and tears were visible all over her body, especially a large one on her chest, right beside her seam. Each arm was nearly torn off, and her legs had medium sized rips at the knees. I gently shook her shoulder. "Hey," I called quietly. "Hey, 7! C'mon, get up!" When she didn't move, I began to feel despair closing in on me. "No… no, 7, you can't be dead! You just _can't _be!" I shook her some more, but her body stayed limp.

I was crushed, so crushed that I didn't even hear the twins creeping up behind me. When 3 let out a few nervous clicks, I jumped, and whirled around. I sighed a bit. "Oh. It's you."

4 stepped forward and knelt down beside 7, gently stroking her cheek. I knew that 7 had been like a mother to them, and I could tell that they already missed her dearly.

Suddenly, 4 leapt up. She flashed something at 3, and both twins rushed off. I hung my head, feeling depressed. One of them, I wasn't sure which one, came up from behind me again and pulled on my arm.

"Not now," I muttered. "I don't feel like playing."

The twin, who I learned was 3, tugged on my arm relentlessly. Eventually, I sighed and stood up. 3 blinked very slowly so I could understand him. _She's not dead, _he flashed. He continued, and flashed something else that I couldn't understand. I was still learning to understand the twins.

"What's wrong with her then?" I asked, becoming a little frustrated.

3 blinked even slower. _Something's been messing with her circuitry. She's just been drained of energy. _

"Her circuitry," I repeated. "You mean, like, her insides? Her skeleton?" 3 nodded. "Shouldn't we… check? Y'know, to make sure it didn't pull out her heart or anything?" Again, 3 nodded.

As if on cue, 4 rushed back in, dragging the _Annuls of Peracelsus _with her. With some help from her twin, they flipped through the pages until they found one with the inside anatomy of the stitchpunk emblazoned on it. After staring at it for a little while, 4 nodded, and blinked that she thought she had it memorized. As the twins moved back to 7's body, I stayed staring at the picture. I'd never seen the insides of another stitchpunk; _I'd _always been the one being opened up.

I whirled around when I heard a weak groan coming from behind me. I found 7, now lying on her back, her eyes slowly blinking open. The twins were positioned on either side of her, helping her sit up.

"N-9?" she stuttered. "What… what happened?"

"I don't know…" I muttered. "You were just… I thought you were dead!"

Before I realized what was happening, I pulled 7 into a hug. "I was… so worried," I quietly whispered.

"There… there was this… this Machine," she whispered. "It… it cut me open. And it… it connected something to me." She looked at the twins, fear clearly visible in her eyes. "Am I going to die?"

3 shook his head, and blinked something to her that I couldn't understand. She nodded, and assured, "I wouldn't mind one bit. I have to know what it did."

So, the twins helped her over to a small bed, where she lay down, panting. It seemed that the effort of walking across the room had exhausted her. When the twins rushed off to check the picture again, I sat down next to 7. She grabbed my hand in hers. "I'm afraid…" she whispered. "And I don't want to die."

I was a bit shocked. This was still a side of her that I wasn't used to. Down there, on the bed, she looked so young, so fragile. So _unlike _herself. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry," I quietly told her. "The twins know what they're doing. I'm sure you'll be back to normal by tomorrow."

She seemed contented by that answer; for she lay her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes. The twins rushed back in. 3 gently propped open each side of the seam on 7's chest, careful not to make the rip any worse. After closing her eyes for a moment, 4 poked her head into 7's chest. I sat on the edge of the desk, letting my legs dangle off the end. I heard quite a bit of clicking going on between the twins, but I was too afraid that if I looked back, 7 would be dead. Just like the rest of our friends. Without 7 by my side, my own thoughts seemed to bore down on me. It was all me; everything that had happened since the moment I woke up. I kicked the edge of the table a bit, cursing myself. If only I hadn't plugged that Talisman into the Fabrication Machine… But I couldn't change that now. It was too late for that. I subconsciously brought one hand up and felt the stitches placed on my left arm by 5. Out of all that had died, I missed him the most.

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to find 3, looking solemnly at me. "W-what is it?" I stuttered. "Do you know what's wrong with her?"

3 shook his head and slowly explained, _We are not sure yet, but there is some sort of metal sphere melded partway into her chest. We would pry it out, but 7 seems to be in pain again. We need to keep her calm. Will you assist us in the operation?_

I nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes, definitely. I'd do anything for 7."

3 lead me back to where 7 lay. I could tell that she was getting restless, even as 4 stroked her forehead. 3 held open 7's chest, then pointed to a small steel ball, fused to her metal skeleton just under her voice box. I took a deep breath and tried to steady my hands. I realized that I was shaking uncontrollably; then I reminded myself that 7 was in pain. I lowered my hands into her chest. I felt a bit awkward, poking around such a personal area, whereas the twins seemed so open to it. I ran my fingers along the edge of the sphere, looking for any kind of lip that I could get my fingers under. When I found one, I began to tug. Gently at first, then getting harder as the ball began to budge. I continued to pry at it while 7 moaned with discomfort. I grimaced a bit, fearing that I was causing her more pain. But then, she lay still once more, and after a final tug, the sphere came loose. On the side that had been fused to 7's spine, I could see the edges of wires, still sparking a bit.

3 instantly stooped down and picked the object up; only to have it snatched away moments later by his twin. They both wandered off, lost in thought and wonder of the strange sphere. That left 7 and me. I turned slowly, hearing her panting a bit. Her eyes fluttered open for a second, then slid shut again. She groaned slowly and tried to roll over, but only succeeded in making the tear on one arm a bit bigger. I returned to her bedside, placing a hand on her shoulder. She stopped moving at my touch, and looked blearily up at me. She squinted a bit, before letting out another small cry of pain as one hand shot to her chest. "9…" she whispered. "W-what… what's happening?" She fell unconscious again, making me feel alone. It killed me to see her like that. One look at each of her tears made me wince, so I decided to patch her up. After finding some beige thread and a needle, I set to work on her left arm, the one with the largest tear now. I'd never sewn before, and I wasn't quite sure what to do with the knot at the end of the thread. I decided it would be best if it stayed on the inside of her fabric, so I started the first stitch from the inside. I then brought the needle over to the other side, and poked it through both edges this time. I continued this process until her arm was one piece again. I moved to her right arm, which hadn't been damaged as bad as her left, but still had a noticeable rip just above where her shield usually was. After patching that one up, I moved (somewhat hesitantly) to her legs. Luckily, they only had small puncture marks, which were quite easy to handle. I left her chest open, but did the best I could to clip it together with her fastener. I stood back to see how she looked, and gasped. She looked terrible, maybe even worse than before. But that wasn't the only thing that I gasped at. A beam of sunlight coming from one of the shattered windows had landed directly on her, like a spotlight. Her white fabric gleamed in the sun, and she looked serene and peaceful, despite her messy stitches. She was lying elegantly on her side, and I found myself tempted to reach out, to touch her, to trace her feminine form. But, I resisted. I couldn't help myself from looking though, examining every inch of her fabric. She seemed to be perfect. Beautiful, smart, funny, a natural warrior. And what was I? I was just some clumsy, bumbling idiot that murdered half her friends. I spun around when I heard a soft clicking noise coming from behind me. I turned to see 4, walking towards me, arms crossed, blinking angrily. "Did you find out what it was?" I asked her. _Stupid 3 will not let me see,_ she blinked. _He is hogging it all to himself_. She suddenly gasped a silent gasp as she laid eyes on 7. _She is so beautiful!_ She ran over and gently placed a hand on 7's cheek. _I wish I could be that beautiful_, 4 dreamily blinked. _I mean, I'm not even feminine in the least._ I chuckled a bit. "At first, I couldn't tell if you were a guy or a girl." When 4 shot me an angry glance, I shut up. "Sorry." I turned my gaze back to 7 and instantly regretted it. My stomach lurched and I nearly gasped again. She truly did look beautiful, sprawled out on the table. I felt slightly nauseous, as I did whenever 7 was in my sight. At that moment, 4 noticed that 7's wounds were patched up_. Did you fix her?_ she blinked. "Y-yeah," I stuttered, caught a little by surprise. "I just thought… y'know, I didn't want her to be in pain, so…" I trailed off. It was as if my brain had crashed; I couldn't even form a full sentence. And it was what 4 said next that shocked me even more. _You like her, don't you?_ This caught me by surprise. "What?" I exclaimed. "No… no, I couldn't possibly… she's just, like, beautiful. She'd never even think of liking me." _No, I asked if _you_ like her, _4 stated. "I… I," I stuttered trying to find the right words. "I care for her, but I—" I cut myself off, knowing that I only sounded like a bumbling fool again. "Yes. I _really_ like her. But, I'm afraid that she'll never feel the same towards me." _She's very caring, you know,_ 4 flashed, gently rubbing 7's shoulder. _Even though she has a hard exterior, she's all soft and mushy on the inside._ That delightful image will haunt me for the rest of my days. When 4 caught my horrified expression, she continued, _I mean, her soul is like that. Hard and tough, but gentle at the same time._ Changing the subject (I still had that mushy insides thing stuck in my brain) I asked, "Do you think 3's figured out what that sphere does yet?" 4's eyes instantly lit up. _Probably not. I should go help him!_ She rushed off to find her twin, which left 7 and me alone again. Do you know what it's like when you know something's wrong to do, but you just have to do it? I get that feeling a lot. I absolutely love figuring stuff out, seeing how it works, taking it apart and putting it back together. Anyway, I got that feeling as I sat down next to 7. I gently placed one hand on her cheek, feeling her warmth. A small tingle went up my spine as I touched her. Stroking her gently, my mind wandered to her skullmet. She must've lost it in battle. Perhaps when she awoke, we could go find it. Suddenly, I noticed her shift in her sleep. There was some kind of spark behind her eyes, and she leapt up. "Where—where is it?" she panted. "The Beast…" She began to frantically look around, feverishly turning in a circle, and probably looking for her spear. I knew that she always like to have it at her side. "7!" I cried, waving my arms. "Calm down. Don't worry, it's gone. You're back at the Library." She looked around, as if in shock, then wobbled a bit and collapsed. Just as she was about to hit the ground, I dove in and caught her. "Whoa!" I cried. "Are you ok?" She raised a hand to her head. "How—how did I get here? I was just out there, with the Beast, and… and…" "7, that was hours ago," I assured her. "It's morning now. Don't worry. It attached some weird orb thingy, and the twins are trying to find out what it did. Does. Will do." I slapped my face into my palm. She sighed resentfully. "I hate it…" she whispered, burying her head in the fabric of my shoulder. I recoiled a bit at her touch; my stomach did a little flip-flop. I realized that she needed comforting, so I gently placed a hand on her back, just in the center of the patch that covered her 7. "Hate…" she whispered again. "Whenever I pass out in battle… there are these huge gaps in my memory. It's terrible… like my life is slipping away…" "7, don't say that," I comforted. "It's gonna be ok. You'll live for years to come. And you were only out for a few hours." She looked down at her arms, still all covered with my stitches. "Did you do this?" she questioned. I rubbed one arm, still nervous that she'd hate how messy it looked. "Uh… yeah. Sorry that they're so messy." She examined her arms. "Oh, forget about it. They're just fine, and I don't really care what I look like." She suddenly reached up to her head. "Where's my skullmet?" "I—I don't know," I stuttered, but I trailed off as she ran ahead. She sure seemed to have her energy back. "C'mon," she called back over her shoulder. "We should go search!" I ran along behind her, wondering how she was traveling so fast. I had to run to keep up, and she'd even slowed so she was jogging. "Do you even know where you're gonna look?" I cried up to her. "I mean, it could be anywhere!" Ok, I know I wasn't _usually _like this, but I didn't want 7 to hurt herself any more than she was already. "We just have to—" she cut herself off, chuckling a bit. "Found it!"

She clambered up onto a pile of debris, and picked up her skullmet. She dusted it off before placing it on her head again. She then ran down the side of the pile, skidding to a stop right in front of me. I raised my hands, as if to protect myself. "7, are you sure you should be doing this? I mean, you were just sewn up. Shouldn't you rest up first?"

She rolled her eyes. "I rested all day. And if there's one thing I can't stand, it's not moving for that long." She sighed, looking around. "And it's a beautiful day! It's not going to last for ever. As for the stitches," she looked down at herself. "I have to find what my new limits are."

She then ran ahead again, leaving me looking quite frazzled behind. "Where are we going now?" I called ahead.

"To find my spear," 7 answered, turning back a bit. "C'mon, you can help me!" I followed along, not wanting to leave her alone. I was afraid that she'd pass out, or rip herself again. If her skullmet had been here, her spear wouldn't be far away. I didn't even want to let her out of my sight, but it was quite hard with her running ahead so frequently. Unfortunately, I heard a grunt from behind a pile of debris. I rounded it to find 7 on her knees. "What happened?" I asked, bending down and helping her to her feet. "I… I just tripped," she said, getting up. Not a moment after she was on her feet again, she let out a small gasp of pain and fell to her knees again. "7," I began. "I think we should head back to the Library." "Nonsense," she sniffed. "I'm perfectly fine." She tried to stand, but fell again. I wrapped her arms around my shoulders and supported her as we began to head back towards the library. "9, I'm fine," she insisted, pushing my arms off. She took two steps then collapsed. She blinked up at me. "What… what is…" Her head began to droop and she fell unconscious. I sighed. _Now_ it was going to be hard to get her to safety.

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><p><strong>AN: 7 was so out of character! That was such a fail. :P I'm sorry, but I'll try to explain why later. Anyway, I'm still not sure if I'm going to continue on this story, I don't know if people will enjoy it, so if you did, leave a comment! That's probably the only way I'll continue. Thanks!  
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	2. Discover

**A/N: Wow! Three reviews already! There's something good about this story, I can tell! Anyway, I'm gonna remind you, leave a comment!**

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><p><em><strong>Seven Days – Chapter 2 – Discover<strong>_

_7's POV… _

I blinked once or twice, still on the fringes of consciousness. Someone was bending over me, casting a shadow onto my face from the setting sun.

"7…" he asked. Actually, it was more of a statement. There was something odd about his voice. It sounded sort of like relief, but it wasn't. "Are you… are you all right?"

I blinked a few more times as my vision began to focus again. I could now tell that it was 9 standing over me. He had that worried look on, as he always did whenever something wasn't right. But wait. That didn't make sense! He should have be happy, since I was awake! But why wasn't he?

"Yeah, I'm fine," I quickly answered, completely out of instinct. I'll admit, I did _not_ feel fine, but I knew that I couldn't tell 9. It would only make things worse…

9 still had that look on his face, and it killed me to see him looking at me like that. He was sad, so sad it made _me_ want to cry, but I could tell he as trying to cover it up. He wasn't doing a very good job.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting up. My head throbbed in protest, but I tried my best to ignore it. It didn't work so well.

"7…" 9 slowly began. He was fiddling with something in his hands. I couldn't quite see what it was; only that it was small and round. He suddenly looked up and held the object up to my face. "Do you remember anything about this?"

I took it from his hands. Seeing it up close wasn't much different. It was still small, and round, and shiny… I suddenly dropped it as realization hit me. "It's what that… that thing fused to my chest!"

9 nodded solemnly. I still wasn't sure what was so sad about it. I mean, he got it out of me! Things should be getting better… right?

"9, what's wrong?" I finally asked, after staring at the orb for a while.

"Nothing…" he muttered, his eyes still on the ground.

My headache was receding slightly, and I knew that I had no time for pain in such circumstances. I placed one finger under his chin, forcing him to look up. "Then why won't you smile?" I evenly said, my eyes locked with his.

Well, that was a big mistake on my part. Really big. Enormous, one might say. For a moment later, 9 was in tears. "9… oh, 9…" I rubbed his back a bit. "What is it? I'm not a mind reader!"

But, I couldn't get anything from him. He was completely reduced to tears now, and I knew he wouldn't be able to tell me what I needed to know. I patted him on the shoulder before standing. Another bad idea on my part. My legs felt like jelly, and only supported my weight for a moment. My head gave a painful throb. Why did I feel like this? I clenched my fists and climbed to my feet, locking my knees before I could fall again. I awkwardly stumbled forward. I only made it a few steps before collapsing again. It was almost as if I'd lost the ability to control my legs.

I wasn't quite sure what to do, and I must've looked like such an idiot, sprawled out on the ground with my legs all askew. I was tempted to call out for 9, but resisted. I needed to try _at least _once more. I focused all my energy on my wibbly-wobbly legs, and stood again. I took a few more steps, and nearly made it out of the small area where I'd been resting, then my knees gave. I let out a short groan of pain, and finally gave in. "9," I called. "Uh… can I get some help here?"

My only answer was a few loud sobs from 9. Wow, that's _so _helpful. Thank you, 9! I was beginning to feel hopeless. "3? 4?" I cried. "Can anyone hear me?"

I felt… alone. Usually, this didn't bother me, but now… I felt helpless. "H-hello?" I called. "You guys, come in here!"

I heard the soft pitter-patter of feet against the floor as the twins approached. I forced myself into an uncomfortable sitting position and asked them, "What's wrong with 9?"

He was now banging his fist on the bed, with his face buried in the sheets. This was odd behavior, even for him. Oh, yeah. Something was _definitely _wrong.

When I turned my gaze back to the twins, both of them avoided my gaze. 4 placed her face in her hands and 3 suddenly became very interested in the wood and metal that his hands were made of.

I placed a hand on the elder's shoulder. He looked up, a worried expression clearly visible on his face. "You can tell me," I gently said. "It's ok."

"No, no, no, no!" 9 cried from behind. "Not ok, not ok!" A pillow muffled his words as he sobbed harder.

I was beginning to get suspicious. I hated it when people kept secrets from me, and I thought that I could trust the twins to tell me everything. They always had before.

"Something's up here," I evenly said. "And I'm not going to find out the easy way."

_7, I just don't know how to tell you this…_ 3 clicked, avoiding my gaze again. _You don't know how difficult this can be for us…  
><em>  
>"Just get to the point!" I cried, then realizing how exasperated I sounded, I evened out my tone and continued, "Don't worry. I won't be mad."<p>

"7…" 9 cried, lifting his head. He took a shuddering breath, and choked out, "You're dying!"

That hit me like a sledgehammer. The impact of those two words, '_you're dying_', was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I entered a state of shock. "W-what?" I exclaimed. "No, I'm q-quite sure I'm not. I feel f-fine; accept for this headache and my legs. But they're probably just asleep."

9 was now kneeling beside the bed, slamming his face into the pillow while chanting, "It's all my fault, it's all my fault…" Every time he said the word _'fault'_, he brought the pillow up into his face.

"9!" I cried, snatching the pillow away from him. "Stop it! It's not your fault, and I'm not dying!"

_7,_ 3 clicked. I turned to see him looking sad. _He's right._

Ok, when 3 said it, it was more affective. _Way_ more. 3 would never lie to me about anything so serious. And he never said something unless he was _absolutely_ sure he was right. "…How?" I finally asked. It was the only logical question at the time.

"It was me!" 9 angrily cried. "They explained it; when I was taking that piece out, I—"

3 cut him off. _He is definitely not a medical professional. I mean, his way of disconnecting that orb was prying it off with his bare hands. In his… _he paused as he looked for the right word_. Er… sloppiness, he accidentally bumped the cord that connects your fraction of soul to your brain. Now, that wire is cracked, and your soul is slowly leaking out._

All I could do was stare. "What?" I asked again. "You mean, I'm dying? Like, right now?"

3 nodded. 4 now took her head out of her hands. _We calculated it, and it will take seven days for your soul to leak out completely._

"Seven days…" I whispered. My life flashed before my eyes; there was so much I had to do! I'd spent my entire life fending for the others and myself. I'd never had time for _personal goals_! And now, I had to accomplish _eveything? _Oh, fate is a cruel mistress…

Suddenly, something occurred to me. "Wait!" I cried. "Isn't there some way to stop it? A way no one thinks of until it's too late? There's always a cure!"

_We're not miracle workers,_ 3 flashed. _And we do not major in affairs of the soul._

_But for the next week, it's all up to you, 7_, 4 insisted._ You can have anything you want! You're in charge. Anything to make your last few days… more comfortable._

My mind was now rushing, making my headache had returned with a vengeance. What was I to do? Seven days… to complete everything? But what did I want? "I— I should teach you two how to fight!" I exclaimed. "Yes, so you can protect yourselves." I then remembered the crying heap next to me. "Oh. And 9, too."

This made sense to me, for I should try to complete some logical things, so 9 and the twins could live without me. I still didn't quite accept that I was dying, but if I was, there's no use wasting time arguing about it! I ran off, the thought of my weak legs pushed to the edges of my mind. I sprinted into my room and grabbed three of my spears, which were all leaning up against my wall. I ran back into the room where the others were waiting.

"I'm gonna train you guys," I told them. "Ok?"

None of them looked very happy, but none of them protested, either. Accept for 9. He just slowly shook his head, and wandered off in some kind of trance. I tossed each of the twins a spear and kept the third one for myself. I began to show the twins some basic moves, teaching them how to adjust to carrying a spear. It always has some weight to it, and you can use it to your advantage.

When I was first learning how, I found that this made it harder to fight, especially having a top-heavy blade on the end. But, as I grew, my style changed. I began to use my spear as a pole vault, propelling myself into the air with it. And if you swing it around enough, you can get quite a bit more force than you'd expect.

Unfortunately, the twins weren't very keen on fighting. They seemed bored, even though they tried their best to look excited.

"You guys need to know this," I tried to convince them. "And I thought that you said that it was up to me now, right?"

_It is, _4 replied. _We just… don't need to fight._

"I'm sure you will at some point," I rolled my eyes a bit. "Come on! Show me what you can do."

Neither twin was natural in any way with the spear in their hands. 4 kept accidentally letting her's go, and 3 seemed to flat out not care. As the sun began to set – which was pretty soon, since we didn't start until late afternoon – I gave up. The twins hadn't caught on yet, it was beginning to get cold, and my headache had returned. I wasn't one to give up, but with these circumstances…

"All right, you guys," I finally sighed. "I think we'll call it a night. Good progress, though."

As they retreated back into the globe that they still called their home, 4 turned back and hugged me. Her brother quickly followed her. _Thanks for trying to teach us, _she flashed. _I'm just sorry that we weren't better students. _

_It's just not for us, _3 slowly shook his head. _I'm sorry._

"Oh, you have no need to be sorry," I smiled weakly, and wrapped my arms around them in a hug. "I was just a bad teacher. It's ok."

They returned to their globe, leaving me standing alone in front of the gaping hole that they called the entrance. After their soft footsteps had faded from my earshot, I decided to retire to my room. Of course, I could hardly call it _my _room. 9 and I shared a room, which was more of a gap on a low shelf with a bed and piles of blankets jammed into it. I didn't really mind spending time with 9, I actually quite enjoyed it, but I was slightly unsure of what he would be like. Still sad, from before? Or angry? I hoped he wasn't angry. I think the only person who I enjoyed angering was 1. And 8, maybe.

When I pulled the curtain aside, 9 was curled up in a blanket, staring at the open flame of a candle with his back to me. I stretched over, grabbed another blanket off the bed and slid up next to him. When he felt my sudden warmth beside him, he tore his gaze from the candle and looked at me.

"How'd the training go?" he asked, not blinking, his face remaining emotionless.

"Oh, y'know, the twins aren't really made to be fighters," I said all-too cheerfully. I _never _sounded that cheerful. Especially not when I'd just _failed _at something. I took my skullmet off and placed it on the ground near the end of the bed, just as a distraction so I could look away from 9.

"Do you know what you're gonna do tomorrow?" he asked again.

I shrugged. "Haven't decided yet. I might think about it tonight."

"You know, everything you do doesn't have to be to help us," he quietly said, turning his gaze back to the fire. "You can do some things just for fun."

It took a little while for what he said to sink in. For _fun? _It had been an eternity since I'd been offered the chance to have fun. I wasn't even sure if I knew _how _to have fun anymore. I slowly stood and made my way over to the bed. I lay down; a blanket still wrapped about my shoulders, and stared up at the base of the next shelf that served as a ceiling.

_What should I do? _I thought to myself. I began to let my mind wander, just barely skimming over each thought, trying to pick out any that appealed to me. Time seemed to freeze and fly by at the same time. I didn't even notice 9 slipping into bed next to me.

Once his breathing was deep enough for me to assure that he was asleep, I crept out of bed. The candle had burnt down to nearly nothing, but it was still smoldering just enough to cast eerie orange shadows around the room. I sat on the ground with a piece of paper in front of me and began to make a list of everything that had come to mind.

After the candle had completely extinguished, I hid the paper under the bed and curled back into bed. My mind was still jam-packed with ideas, but I knew that I had to wait until morning to continue. I didn't get a wink of sleep, only stared at the ceiling and thought about _it_. With nothing else to do, _it_ was all that my mind focused on. And I couldn't get _it_ out of my head. The one thing that stuck out in every of my thoughts was:

_I'm dying. _


	3. Nature

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 3 – Nature<strong>_

I must've dozed off at some point, for when I was conscious again, I was in the middle of one of my nightmares. The years of my life that I'd spent fighting had scarred my brain forever. Nearly every single night, I had terrible visions, usually of me killing the others. Today though, it was different.

A smaller version of myself was curled in a ball, crying. I continuously lashed out at her, striking her with everything I had: my fists, my spear, a whip. Whenever I grew tired of inducing pain one way, a new weapon would appear in my hand, and I would be amused again. Horribly. She cried louder with every hit, and I only found myself angering.

"Grow up, you foolish child!" I screamed at her. I realized that I sounded oddly like 1, but I didn't have much time to think of it, for I continued to yell. "It wasn't 9's fault that they're all dead, it's your's! You should have protected them better, but you're too caught up in emotions and feelings and men!"

The mini-me only sobbed harder. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Then, she lifted her head. Her face was 9's face, but made out of my fabric and fused to a smaller version of my body. Then again, this body had no scars. However, I was still quite sure it _was _me. Somehow.

Suddenly, her face filled with rage. I jerked in shock a little, trying to back away, but my legs had a mind of their own. "You're a monster!" she cried angrily, stomping onto her feet so she was right up in my face. "And 9 hates you, and the twins hate you, and no one will ever care for you! They will be _happy_ when you're gone; happy when you're _dead_. And so will I!"

I couldn't take another word from her, but as I lashed out with a small blade clutched in one hand, she burst into flame and disappeared into a pile of ashes. I fell to my knees and began digging through the pile until my hands found solid material. I tugged it out of the pile and gasped. It was a piece of burlap with the number 9 written on it. _No!_

I felt a sharp hit to my back, like that of a whip. I turned to find 1 standing over me, a look that sent shivers down my spine stuck on his face. "Grow up, you foolish child!" he screamed at me, and lashed out again. "It wasn't 9's fault that they're all dead, it's your's!" he snapped. What he said sounded oddly familiar.

Wait.

_I'd_ said that earlier!

And the horrible 'mare continued. Each time around, I would switch positions; from the torturer to the victim. After countless repeats, small changes began to appear. Sometimes I'd be torturing 9, sometimes it would be that Fabrication Machine hurting me. But whatever it was, I silently screamed for it to stop. Begged for it to end. Anything to get away.

As the dreams continued, they got worse and worse. 9 would be on his knees, begging me to stop, and I'd light him on fire, and he'd run around screaming while I laughed this horrible, inhuman laugh. I now slid from variation to variation; just barely aware enough to see whatever was happening.

I screamed in my head, a silent scream that only I could hear. But I screamed nonetheless. Screamed, and screamed, and screamed.

And then, something was shaking me. _7! 7, c'mon back! You're ok; it's just a dream, just a dream! _I wasn't even sure if it was really 9's voice, or just another hideous creation of my twisted imagination.

I opened my eyes.

The room was still dark, and I was alone. Completely, totally alone. I realized that I was panting, and had to sit on the edge of the bed for a little while until my breathing returned to normal. And then, I had time to think.

_Where's 9? _I wondered, looking back at the empty spot on the bed next to me. _It's not like him to wander off in the night. I hope he's all right… And was it really him shaking me? _

As all these thoughts swirled through my foggy mind, I wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and stood. However much sleep I'd managed to get had made a huge improvement on my condition. My head still felt slightly tense, and I was cautious so as not to make the throbbing pain return. On the other hand, my legs felt completely normal, and I had no trouble whatsoever wandering out of the room. Luckily. I don't think I could _stand _wasting another day in bed. And that's when it hit me.

_This is Day 2._

I now had _six _days left to live, since I'd wasted the first one failing to teach the twins! Man, I have to come up with some better pastimes!

I heard a soft muttering coming from the top of a bookshelf. I usually hung out on top if the bookshelves whenever I needed to be alone, so getting up on top of one wouldn't be a problem for me. However, I was still unsure of my new limits, so I was slightly more cautious than I had been before as I made my way to the top. I easily scaled the shelf and felt a great rush of satisfaction for being _nearly_ back to normal.

On top, 9 was sitting, his legs dangling over the edge. He was talking to himself in a hushed tone, and I mentally thanked my nature for getting me up here so silently. I was sure that if he knew I was here, he'd stop. And I wasn't quite sure that I wanted him to.

Even the sound of his voice was comforting; a reminder that the screams from him that I'd heard had just been in the dream. But what he was saying made me slightly uneasy.

"… You're going to loose her, too," he whispered to himself feverishly. "And its all your fault… just like the others. All your fault… you never helped, just hurt… and now…" He sighed dramatically. "You're _worthless_."

"9," I quietly said.

He whirled around, looking completely flustered. "S-7," he stuttered. "What are–what are you doing here?"

"I heard you, 9," I sadly shook my head. "And you're not worthless. You mean so much to me." Realizing what I'd said, I quickly added, "And the twins. We all care for you. And I don't blame you for this."

"Don't say that," he denied, looking down. "I know you blame me. And you're right to. I can never do _anything_ right. I'll try to fit in, and someone will end up getting hurt." He lashed back with one foot, hitting it against the wood of the bookshelf. "I'm sure the others would hate me now, too. _If_ they were still alive."

I slowly made my way over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's where you're wrong," I assured him. "They'd never blame you; it was just a mistake. An accident. You should be able to see that by now. Focus on the future, 9. Don't count scars."

"Well, that's pretty easy for me," he flatly stated. With one finger, he pointed to his left arm. "One."

"No, I don't mean it _literally_," I rolled my eyes. 9 was nice, but he was _such_ a doof sometimes. "I mean, sometimes, you have to let the past go."

He sighed. "It's just… hard. I can't help but think how different things would be if the others were still here."

"1 would probably have us both locked up to make sure we didn't get into trouble," I smiled weakly in a lame effort of sarcasm.

We both laughed much too heartily. It wasn't that what I'd said was funny; we were both just glad to have something to break the silence.

"Oh!" I suddenly cried, breaking our fit of laughter. "Come with me! You'll want to see this."

We began leaping from bookshelf to bookshelf, making our way through the Library. I stopped at the last bookshelf before the entrance, and pointed out to the horizon.

The thick layer of clouds had parted just enough to see a red sliver of the sun above the horizon. The other clouds were stained pink, purple, and still black further back. Even with the piles of rubbish and debris from the war, it was beautiful.

"Whoa…" 9 gaped, staring out at the sunrise. "Is it always like this?"

All I could do was nod. The sight had taken my breath away, for it had been a few weeks now since I'd seen the sunrise.

As I thought back on it, I realized that it was sometimes the simplest things I enjoyed most, like watching the sun rising here. 9 and I sat, side by side, gazing at it in awe.

It took quite a while for the sun to creep it's way up into the sky, but when it did, I was satisfied. It was definitely worth it. And I was pretty sure that 9 felt the same.

In fact, he seemed to be more cheerful than before. "So, what should we do today?" he asked.

I thought back for a second to the list that I'd made last night. What was it… I'm sure I wrote something down… "Uh," I stuttered. "I'm not sure. I have to go check." I didn't quite remember most of the things that I wrote down. I _never _did after a nightmare.

After summing up the distance, I leapt off the bookshelf, and landed neatly on the ground. I looked back up at 9. "You coming?"

"Y-yeah," he stammered. "I'm on my way."

I couldn't help but chuckle as he cautiously made his way down the side of a bookshelf, and finally just fell to the ground with a thump.

"Shh," I shushed between chuckles. "You'll wake the twins!"

We crept off back to our room, where I sent him off to get a new candle. Ok, I know what you're thinking, if I like spending time with 9, why don't I want him here now? Well, I'll tell you.

I didn't fully remember most of the things I put on the list, and just in case any of them had to do with 9 (which they probably did) I didn't want him to see. He might take it the wrong way, and a surprise like that would probably set him off again.

On the list, I'd jotted down many things, and as it went on, my writing got sloppier and sloppier. I could barely read the ones at the very bottom, for I must've been nearly falling asleep at the time. I reviewed them, carefully going over each one in my head to see if they'd be worthwhile to complete. And the whole time I revised, I kept in my head one thing:

The feeling that I had with the sunrise.

It was a lovely feeling, one I wanted to hold onto. I rarely felt it anymore, but when I did… oh, I don't even know how to describe it! The beauty, the peacefulness, the serenity, it all just… takes your breath away! I began adding on a few more things, more involving nature, and the world around me. Less about working, or thinking about the… _event _to come, just little activities that I'd enjoy.

When I heard 9's footsteps returning across the wooden floor, I struggled to jam the paper back under the bed. I didn't get it under in time. Unfortunately.

"Hey, 7," 9 called happily. "I found another nice long candle. Hopefully this one will—" He cut himself off as he saw the paper in my arms. "What's that?"

"Oh, nothing," I denied, pressing the written side to my chest. "Just a few… notes."

9 looked far from convinced, but he dropped the subject when he noticed that I felt uneasy on it. "Did you make up your mind yet?" he asked. "About what to do today, I mean."

I smiled a bit. "Yeah, I got that. And, no, I haven't decided." I was tempted to tell him about that sunrise feeling; to ask if he'd felt the same. But, I was worried that he'd think less of me if he knew I was interested in such touchy-feely stuff. "But, _watch the sun rise_ was one of the things on my list." Pressing it against my knee, I crossed off, _'watch sunrise'_. Another four words jumped out at me from a bit farther down on the page. "I've got it!" I happily exclaimed. "Later today, we're going to lie in the grass!"

9's expression was unreadable by me. Shock, questioning, doubt, anger, possibly sadness. Why would he be sad? I just wanted to enjoy nature!

It began to dawn on me after staring at his mixed expressions. He pitied me! He thought I was loosing it, me, the _warrior_, wanting to relax in the grass.

"I don't need your pity," I sniffed, turning around indignantly. If he thought he could be like that…

"7, wait!" he called forward, reaching out with one arm. He placed it on my shoulder, and where his cool metal touched my warm fabric, it felt… _nice_. I wanted to stay there, with his hand gently resting on my shoulder. But, I turned to meet his gaze again, and he lowered his hand. _Dang it!  
><em>  
>"I don't pity you," he admitted. "I just think that it's an… interesting choice."<p>

Again, I was not impressed. "Oh, sure," I rolled my eyes. "Like _interesting_ is a good thing. That's code for saying I'm stark raving mad!"

"No, it's just…" he searched for the right word. "_Thought-provoking_. And sort of weird." Realizing that he'd just said weird (another mistake on his part) he quickly covered. "I mean, I've had that thought many times before."

Oh. So he _wasn't _making fun of me. My sanity is still intact! At least, I hope. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Like, you've always wanted to lie in the grass, and stare at the sky, and just let the day pass by you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Like I said, it's weird, but… _interesting_. I think it would be so relaxing, and it would be… it would be a great way to spend your day."

"Then, you could come with me," I smiled a bit, taking his hand in mine. It was like some sort of spark sprung between us, shooting up my arm and sending my brain reeling. 9's touch was… as he'd said, interesting. But good.

_7!_I turned to find the twins rushing towards me. They both looked overly relieved to see me.

_We thought you'd left without us!_ 4 flashed, hugging onto me when she got close enough. Her brother quickly followed her, repeating the motion.

After a few seconds of hugging, they released me. 3 now spoke: _Did you manage to get much sleep last night?_

I smirked a bit at the thought. "Technically speaking, no. Not really. I was up pretty late, thinking over what I wanted to do. And mentally speaking, even less so. Throughout what few hours I managed to stay asleep, I had nightmares. Horrible, _horrible _nightmares." I smiled as I thought of the one pro in this conversation. "However, I did get to complete one task already. I watched the sunrise."

"And today, we're gonna lie in the grass, and relax, and enjoy nature!" 9 happily cried, looking somewhat childish in his excitement. It was cute—in a 9-ish sort of way.

_Good lord!_ What is _happening_ to me? Was I turning into some mushy, lovesick girly-girl that enjoys thoughts of guys being cute? Not on my watch, I wasn't!

_Oh, 7, _4 oohed. _That sounds wonderful! _

_It's a shame you didn't get much sleep though, _3 smiled a bit. _4 and I had some trouble as well. We couldn't stop thinking about–_

–_The effects that your soul shortage will have on you! _4 interrupted.

_Your soul is your personality, _3 continued, looking slightly annoyed at his sister. _So, we think–_

–_That you might end up feeling–_

–_Not like yourself, _3 cut in._ You'll probably find yourself–_

–_Not sure of your thoughts, _4 smirked a bit._ And changing your mind much more._

_Hey, I came up with that part!_

_Yeah, but that doesn't mean I couldn't tell her. _

_But you _always_ tell her! _

The twins began to playfully wrestle, as they usually did whenever they fought. It was the age-old battle, which twin could deliver their latest discovery fastest.

_7, _4 flashed dramatically. _3 is annoying me! And he hurts me!_

_Leave me alone! _3 cried. _I didn't hurt you!  
><em>

_Yeah, you just kicked me in the shin!_

_Oh, I'm sorry, 4. I didn't mean to._

_Oh, it's ok, bro. _

They both hugged, and I smiled. They were such sweeties sometimes. "Ok," I happily chuckled. "Now that you've forgiven each other, can we all just head out?"

The twins exchanged glances. _Uh, we'd love to pass the day away with you, but we just can't let so much time slip through our fingers_, 4 sadly flashed.

"I understand." I evenly stated. Ok, I'll admit, I'd _love_ to have the twins along with me, but if they had plans of their own, who was I to rain on their parade? That's more of 1's thing.  
><em><br>We don't mean to upset you_, 3 frowned slightly_. But… we just want to have a study day. You know what it's like, we'll just… read. And figure stuff out. All day long. If you wouldn't mind, we'd prefer to have one of those._

"Oh, go ahead," I smiled. "Be my guests."

4 smiled brightly at me now. _Thanks, 7. You're the best._

Once they'd scurried back into the globe, I turned back to 9. It was quite clear that he didn't understand a word of our conversation. That was the only problem with the twins. If they needed to talk, I was usually their translator. I was glad that 9 was a quick learner, for whenever I hadn't been there, 5 would've needed the twins to write down what they were saying.

I felt a soft pang in my heart as I thought of 5. I still missed him dearly, clutching every memory of him close to my heart while trying not to think about him. He'd been like a brother to me. Maybe more. But I'd never felt the way I did around 9 when I was with 5. But on the other hand, 5 had always been so caring. One hand absentmindedly stroked the stitching on my right leg. The neatly placed stitches had been the results of 5's careful handwork. When I touched his stitches, a certain warmth welled inside me. He'd been cautious, so _careful_ when stitching me. It was as if he wanted me to look perfect.

And then, I moved my hand to 9's stitches, slightly lower down on my leg. He'd told me that he'd fixed me because he couldn't bear seeing me in pain. And with no medical history, the stitches were staying together better than I'd expected. And when I ran my fingers over them, a fiery sensation boiled up at the spot. _I wonder…_

9 interrupted my train of thought. "So… are we going?" he excitedly asked. I don't think I'd ever seen anyone so thrilled to be going out for a nature walk. Well, I wasn't quite sure how this was gonna turn out.

"Y'know how I said, _'lie in the grass'_ earlier?" I confirmed. He nodded brightly. "I'm not sure how to put this…" I searched for the right words. "I'm not exactly sure where there _would _be grass to lie in."

His face fell. "What?" he wondered aloud. "I mean… I thought… I just… don't know _what _I thought."

Suddenly, a thought flashed through my head.

_Last night wasn't the _first_ time I'd considered lying in the grass. 5 had once told me about it, and 2 once told me of grass's weed-like habits, but how it was still welcomed everywhere. The twins had dried grass in a book, and 6 loved adding stripes to blades of grass he found. But how was it all connected?_

I quickly relived my thought to 9, still quite curious why grass was so important to every one of us. "Just think," I prompted. "What do we all have in common? Other than being stitchpunks, that is."

"Wait," 9 interrupted. "I think you're right. We're all stitchpunks, and we all had a piece of the Scientist's soul. Perhaps the grass is connected to him."

_Perhaps… _Perhaps indeed. Why hadn't I thought of this before? "9, you're right," I quietly said, gazing up at the sky out a window. But when I turned to look at him, his eyes were closed.

"I re-re-remember," he suddenly stuttered, falling to the ground. "He… he… he t-told me… in here…" He gingerly brought one hand to his head, as if touching it would cause it to burst.

"What is it?" I urged. "Can you explain?"

He raised one finger. I'm not sure if he was silencing me, or telling me one word. But what he said was so powerful. "Greenhouse."

I fell to the ground and began to writhe there as images and memories flashed through my mind. Memories from a past life. Something about… the Scientist… but I wasn't… wasn't supposed to… to… to know until…

_Ah_! I _hate_ it when my thoughts get muddled like this! Hate, hate, hate, _hate it! _I can't remember, and they're all jumbled because I wasn't supposed to remember this until… _until_…

_UNTIL WHAT_? There are too many gaps; I can't tell _what _I'm remembering!

All of a sudden, all I can see is the Scientist. He's there, looking quite a bit younger than when I was created. He began to speak, and I heard his voice from the inside of my head. "_Welcome, my creations. If you're seeing this, your inner mechanisms have recognized that Security Protocol B-12 has been breached. That means, you remembered something before it was planned. I have programmed you with many secrets embedded in your minds, some of which should not be discovered for years to come. However, in your curiosity, you must've stumbled across one of the secrets before your time. Now, please state the keyword of the discovered secret."_

All of a sudden, 9's voice was in my thoughts. "_Greenhouse_," he stated, his voice sounding much more sure than when he'd spoken aloud.

The image of the Scientist flickered and changed. "_Ah, so you you've discovered the memory of my greenhouses, eh? Bravo! This was one that I hadn't meant for you to discover until a few years after the war has ended. I'm sure that at some point, the Fabrication Machine will use poisonous gasses, thus wiping out the plant population as well. That is why I filled the greenhouse with plants of all shapes and sizes. It is just off the edge of the city, and let's just say no humans dared to go near it._ _Anyway, the maps are programmed into your heads. I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding it."  
><em>  
>The image faltered a bit, then my vision returned to normal. Ok. <em>That <em>was weird.

"Did you just…" 9 didn't even have to finish his sentence before I nodded wordlessly.

But, oddly, the Scientist was right. I knew _exactly _where we were going now. And I didn't like it.

"Should we… y'know, tell the twins?" 9 sounded as unsure as ever.

"… No," I disagreed after some thought. "If they don't know about it by now, I don't think we need to put them through all… _that_."

"… Should we go then?" he asked. "We know the place, and… well, we don't want to waste the day."

He had a point. And now, he also had my attention. He already seemed to be over the fact that our creator had programmed our mind with information which we wouldn't realize until it was the right time. _How _does he do it?

So, we set out. The greenhouse wasn't far off; we found it within half an hour. It's glass windows had become muddied with dust and debris from the war, but even through the grime, green sparkled inside.

"Whoa…" 9 mused as he rubbed the glass with one arm, clearing off some of the dirt. Inside, there was much more than just plants. Bees and butterflies flitted around inside, and it was unlike anything I'd seen for years.

When we entered, the humidity was something quite knew to 9. He'd never known the heat of the summer sun, and now, the warmth in the air surprised him. "This is amazing!" he exclaimed, running over to a large patch of grass. He flopped backwards into it, sinking completely out of my view.

It was _truly_ beautiful. The air was heavy with the perfumes of all the various flowers and shrubs. Most of the plants I'd never seen before in my life, but a few were familiar. What I recognized as a bunch of tulips was growing next to the grass that 9 had vanished into, and the sheer diversity of color was mind-blowing. I ran over to the grass and collapsed next to 9, chuckling as the grass tickled my body.

Even through the layers of filth on the top of the greenhouse, the sun still shone through. 9 and I spoke occasionally, but for the most part, we just lounged about the shrubbery. The butterflies of all different shapes and colors were one of my favorite parts. I loved picking one and tracking it, seeing where it went and which flowers it chose to land on.

After a while, I began to recognize certain kinds that had some distinct pattern. One, which was blue with black tipped wings, I named the Midnight Mistress, for it always seemed to choose the pink flowers.

9, on the other hand, seemed to be too in awe to focus on any one thing. He'd be exploring a flower when a bee would buzz by, then he'd be off chasing it, trying to find the hive, and then stopping to watch a butterfly. It was all so new to him; I hadn't realized that he'd never seen nature like this before.

Well, I hadn't really seen it, either. Only for a short time after I awoke were there still bees. As the war continued, natural things diminished. And I never had a chance to relax like this, because I'd be too busy trying to protect the others.

Without being completely aware, we let the day fly past us. And it had been _brilliant_! I hadn't felt so happy since… since the others were still alive. Man, I was glad I didn't say that out loud. It would sort of ruin the day, I think.

As the sun began to near the horizon again, 9 and I departed from the greenhouse. I helped him climb to the top, and from our vantage point, the sunset was just as beautiful as the sunrise. The sky was dyed red as blood from the sun, vanishing beyond the horizon.

"This was fun," I smiled at him. "Thanks for coming with me."

"Oh, you have no need to thank me," 9 chuckled. "That was the most… _amazing _experience I've ever… experienced! I didn't know how beautiful nature could truly be!"

It was true; in my mind, nature was one of the most beautiful things in existence. Even though I was a tough-as-nails warrior, I felt natural showing my softer side around 9. I suppose that _is _one of the pros to having the others gone. No one was there to keep me from going soft. Then again, it _was _sort of a con as well. What if I went too soft, and turned into a mushy, lovesick softy and couldn't defend them anymore? What if–

9 cut off my thoughts. "The sunset is so… powerful," he noted. "Strong and silent, yet beautiful. It has the power to change the world, even though it only lasts a moment. But it will always be remembered." In the soil on the greenhouse roof, 9 put a little heart and the numbers 7 and 9 inside it. I don't think he knew I was watching for the next moment, he was looking back at the sunset. "It's amazing." He turned his gaze to me. "Just like you."

A slight hot flush went to my cheeks. _9 thinks I'm amazing? _I wondered. _What? _"You're… right," I finally said. "The sunset is like me. It suddenly appears, almost out of nowhere, and then, it's gone. And nothing but a memory. And memories fade."

"But you'll never fade, 7," 9 assured me, taking my hand in his. I curled up against his side, letting his warmth soak into me. "I'll remember you forever."


	4. Dream

**A/N: I'm so sorry to anyone who was expecting to see this chapter yesterday! Fanfiction wasn't working correctly, and I couldn't upload my chapter! Well, here it is now! And don't forget to leave a comment! A big thanks to Freida Right for some ideas for this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Anne of Green Gables, _or the poem _Dreams. _  
><strong>

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 4 – Dream<br>**_

I feared that if I went to sleep again tonight, the nightmare would repeat itself. So, I lay in bed all night, staring at the ceiling, thinking about what 9 had told me.

"_I'll remember you forever," _he'd said, while we watched the sunset. Did he mean it? Was he telling the truth? I don't know how I felt about it… I'm sure it was nothing, just him being his usual, kind self. Then again, I'd never heard him say anything like that to anyone else before.

I dozed off without realizing it, and when I woke, I realized something.

_I didn't have any nightmares!_

It had been forever since I'd had such a complete rest cycle, and I felt great! But why, I asked myself. How was last night different from other nights? Well, for starters, I'd completed three of the things on my to-do list now. But my gut told me that that wasn't it. _Perhaps…_

Perhaps it had been 9. When I awoke, my hand was clutched in his. And a surge of happiness had flooded through me. Maybe that _was_ it!

Well, whatever it was, I liked it, and I felt completely and utterly rested the next day.

I got quite the early start (not as early as Day 2) and was out of bed just a few moments after sunrise. I wasn't one of those people who'll lounge in bed for hours after they're awake, I love to get right up and seize the day.

I shook 9 awake (he was still asleep at the time) telling him to get a move on, for I wanted to start off today's activity early. "Wake up," I whispered. "Time to get going."

He batted my hand away and rolled over, pulling the blanket up higher over his head. "Five more minutes," he mumbled, burying his face in his pillow.

I decided to let him sleep a bit longer. Maybe I should go see the twins… I felt terrible for leaving them behind yesterday. I grabbed my spear, shield and skullmet and set out for the globe.

The morning was crisp and clear still from the previous night's air. I breathed deeply, enjoying the feeling of the cool air. I ran over to the globe, my footsteps echoing around the otherwise silent library. How fitting it was that libraries were usually places of quiet for humans as well, and the twins, who never spoke a word, had chosen to live here. I often suspect that they know way more than they let on.

The twins, of course, were already awake when I entered. They were early risers, just like me.

"Hey, you two," I grinned, lifting my skullmet to reveal my face. "Sorry for bailing on you yesterday. How was your study day?"

_It was amazing! _3 flashed happily. _We were exploring around the back and we found some art supplies! _

"What should we do today?" I asked them. "And don't you dare tell me that it's my choice. I choose to hang out with you, and it's up to you to choose what to do."

_No, really, _4 insisted. _You choose. We aren't you; we don't know what you enjoy!_

"Oh, you should know by now that I'll enjoy anything as long as you're here," I dismissed. "Come on! What's something that you do when you're feeling down?"

…_We'll read a book, _3 answered. _One that we really love._

_It always cheers us up! _4 smiled.

"Well, what should we read then?" I asked. Ok, I'll admit, reading wasn't one of my strong suits, but I just wanted to spend the day with the twins.

_Anne of Green Gables! _4 suddenly exclaimed. _I love that book! Oh, it's about this poor orphaned girl, who has to go through all these hardships, and then she finally finds a home that suits her! _

I shrugged. No book sounded what I would call _inviting _to me; I'd much rather be outside! But, the twins seldom left the library, and when they did, it was only for a short time. So, I let the twins lead me to their bookshelf where they kept their most cherished belongings. From the shelf, 4 pulled a novel with a faded black-and-white picture of a young girl.

"So, this is it?" I questioned. Both twins nodded at the exact same time. Oh, it's so sweet when they do that!

Anyway, the book seemed to be just about as tall as I was, so I guessed that if I laid it out flat, I could lie on it to keep it from closing. When I opened it, the pages crinkled lightly. I sighed. Man, it had been _so_ long since I'd read a book!

I flattened it down to the first page.

_Mrs. Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down to a little hollow, fringed with alder and ladies' eardrops and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde's Hollow it was a quite well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs. Rachel was sitting at her window, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks to children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof… _

As the book went on, I found myself enjoying it. I mean, reading wasn't really what I would consider _fun, _but this would have to be the best book I'd ever read! Well, I have to admit, I'd only read one or two books before, but I was beginning to see why the twins chose a library to live in.

We were finished the entire book by about midday. Reading was an… _ok_ way of passing time. I guess. I'd still rather have been out and about, but it made the twins so happy. With half the day remaining, I decided that we had time for another activity. I could cross _spend time with the twins _off my to-do list. Now, what else was on there that I could do with them?

"Aha!" I exclaimed. "That's it! You guys said something about… _art supplies_, right?"

They nodded again, their heads bobbing in synchronization. _Yeah, a bunch of paints and paper, _3 offered. _Would you like to do some art with us?_

I grinned. Exactly what I'd been waiting for. "What do you think?" I asked, before tipping down my skullmet and running ahead. Man, did it feel good. To have the wind rushing past my streamline helmet, my feather cape fluttering behind me. I was free. Completely, utterly free.

But, as all things do, it had to end. I stopped myself just in front of the area that the twins must have been referring to. My jaw gaped open a little (more that it usually did) when I saw the piles of multicolored paints, strewn variously around a huge stack of canvases. Paintbrushes with brown-furred tips of all shapes and sizes were in a jar, balanced precariously on top of the canvases.

When 3 placed his hand on my shoulder, I jumped. I'd been so deep in thought; I hadn't even noticed the twins coming up behind me. _What do you think? _he questioned. _You want to paint?_

I was speechless; all I could do was nod. And then, joy over took me. I gathered a various amount of paints, trying to get a little of each color. I began mixing, squirting colors out of their tubes and blending them with other colors to make completely new ones!

Once I had a huge amount of diversely colored puddles around me, I took down a canvas. It was bigger than my entire body, and I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. What to paint, what to paint…

Suddenly, it came to me! I grabbed a brush, dipped it into a puddle of pale grey paint, and began to smear it on the paper. The twins watched anxiously over my shoulders, but I was too immersed in the art to notice them.

I found myself returning to the tubes for more of certain colors. Always white, grey, and black. I painted a scene: a field in winter. All the plant life in it was stiff with frost, and the forest beyond was blackly silhouetted on the pale grey sky. And then, I took a fine brush and painted a single, orange-petaled flower, standing alone in the otherwise dreary field, a beacon of color in a world of darkness.

_Whoa… _4 flashed. I turned to let them see my work. They were obviously amazed. To be true, _I _was quite shocked at how well it turned out. It looked quite like the picture I'd seen in my head; my motive to paint it. _What inspired you to do this? _

After some thought, I answered, "It's my life. Dark, dreary, dead. A world of black and white, with no color. But the flower is part, too. The one thing that gets me through all the hardships, all the pain and suffering, is one thought. The thought that one day, I will be safe, and you two will be safe, and 9 will be safe, and I will finally be able to be true to myself. That's been my dream my whole life; the one thing that kept me going forever. And without that thought, that _possibility_ of freedom, my life would freeze. And the flower would fall into the snow."

_Hey, 4, _3 suddenly blinked. _It's just like that poem!_

"Poem?" I asked. "What poem?"

4 recited it for me.

_Hold fast to dreams._

_For if dreams go, _

_Life is a barren field_

_Frozen with snow. _

_Langston Hughes, _3 claimed. _It's his poem. It's been one of our favorites forever. _

"Well, I will hold fast to my dreams," I smiled, looking at the paper. The flower seemed to rise up a bit, looking stronger. And that truly was my dream.

_7, you've changed so much, _4 dreamily flashed, still in an abstract state from the reference to poetry. _Before, you'd never talk about things as silly and whimsical as dreams. _

I chuckled. "No, I wouldn't have."

But wait.

_She's right!_

Oh my god, through all this time, all the _years_ of my life spent creating a hard shell through which no one could penetrate had just been wasted. I _was _going soft on them! Painting, lying in the grass, reflecting on dreams? What's next, watching lame soap operas and crying my eyes out at a three-legged Cat Beast? No way!

"I can't bear this," I choked out. "No, I won't go soft, I won't!"

_7, _3 looked shocked. _I don't see what the matter is? You've been like this forever; it's nothing to be afraid of. It's the real you, and you're just hiding behind the tough part of your personality. You have to be yourself. _

After some consideration, what he said began to make me see sense. He was absolutely right; I _had _been like this forever. Just, too distracted to notice it. And, when I wasn't distracted, I hid from it, thinking it was a sign of weakness. But is it _really_? No, it's who I am. But, on the other hand, I still had to defend them. I guess it's ok with moderation…

_If you finally realize that it doesn't matter if you have feelings too, then would you just go ask 9 out? _4 asked.

Ok, _that_ snapped me out of it.

"W-what?" I stuttered. "What did–what did you just say?"

_She said, you should ask 9 out, _3 repeated.

"Do you mean… like, what?" This wasn't happening! _…Or was it?_

_We mean, if 9 admitted that he likes you, would you go out with him? _4 prompted.

"Of course," I raised one eyebrow. "He's like, the sweetest guy I know."

_He's the only guy you know, _4 pointed out. _Save 3. _

_Well, if you like him, why don't you ask him out? _3 continued. _He really likes you, he's just too shy to admit it. So why won't you ask him out? _

"I…I," I wasn't sure. There wasn't really a reason I could think of why not to ask 9 out. Unless I was going to say that I wasn't brave enough (which was true, in this case) but that would scar me for life. It would seal it; I'd be an official softy. "I'm just not… ready for… that kind of relationship?" My voice spiked up at the end, phrasing it like a question.

_Oh… _Both twins looked slightly upset. _That's a shame. You two make such a sweet couple together!  
><em>  
>I narrowed my eyes a bit. "What? How long have you been thinking about this?"<p>

They shrugged. _Dunno. Ever since you two met, we knew that it was true love._4 made a little heart with her fingers.

"Ew!" I cried. "No way." Even though my stomach did clench at the thought, there was still something warm and inviting about it and I was afraid of all these mixed emotions. Did they really think that 9 and I should be a pair? I mean, I didn't mind the average stuff, like holding hands and hugging him. It was more of a buddies relationship. But the question remained; do I want to take it a step further?  
><em><br>Will you ever go out with him?_ 3 finally asked.

This is where I wasn't sure. Heck, if he asked me, I'd say yes, but then again… "I don't know," I answered. It was true; in my head, I could see myself saying yes to him, but I could also see myself saying no. Whatever it was, all I knew was that _I _wasn't going to be the one asking _him_ out. "I'll think about it."

The twins seemed satisfied with that answer, for they moved on. I sighed in relief. I hated it when people badgered me into things. Usually, it wasn't the twins, but it seemed that being two of the last four beings alive had changed them.

I looked back over at my painting. The flower—me—standing alone in my barren life. But now, I thought of it another way. _9_ was the flower, and he was the one splash of color in my bleak grey life. Could it be…

Maybe my dream was to be with 9. And, if it was, should I pursue it? Oh, I don't know!

I gently rubbed my shield. 5 had made it for me, just after he first lost his eye. It had always been a little bit big, but I found myself clinging to it even more now that he was gone. He'd always been so kind, so caring, so _respectful _of me. I wished that he was still with us.

"7?"

I whirled around to find 9, standing at the entrance of the globe. Man, it was getting too easy to sneak up on me! What the twins had said to me echoed in my head. _He really likes you. He's just too shy to admit it._

"Did you draw that?" he asked, looking over my shoulder at my painting. "It's awesome! How did you do it?"

"I-I," I stuttered. "It just, y'know came to me. Do you like it?"

He looked somewhere between shocked and amazed, but managed to reply, "I love it!"

I turned my gaze to the floor, fiddling with my shield a bit. "Sorry about ditching you today. I just didn't want the twins to feel too left out."

He shrugged a bit, tearing his gaze from the painting. "S'0k," he dismissed. "I know how to kill some time."

I raised my eyebrows sarcastically. "Y'mean, you slept all day?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah. Pretty much."

"Oh, 9," I felt like a mother, scolding a very small child. "You should know not to sleep that long. You'll never get to sleep now tonight."

He shrugged again. "I'll find some way to amuse myself."

"Yeah, sure," I said sarcastically. "In the dark."

"Hey, if I still had my light staff, you'd be dead right now," he pointed out.

He was right; he'd sacrificed his light staff— a symbol of both 2 and 5—for me. He'd kept it by his side the entire time he'd had it, but he'd given it up for _me. _Maybe he _did _really care…

I redirected my attention to the orange light flooding through the hole in the top of the globe.

"C'mon," I tipped down the end of my skullmet. "If we hurry, we might still catch the sunset!" I flew out, quickly making my way over the piles of books on the floor. I made it to the door just in time to see the last sliver of the sun vanish beyond the horizon. I sighed. _So close!_

9 came up behind me. "It's still beautiful," he dreamily stated, entwining his fingers with mine. Heat shot up my arm instantly.

"9," I worked up my courage. "I think… I l–… I lo–"

"Yes?" his eyes lit up. "You think?"

"I think that I lo– I… I'd like to… take a walk tomorrow." _No!_ I'd been so close! So _very _close! But, of course, I couldn't admit it to him.

"Oh," he lowered his gaze, looking disappointed. "That should be… good."

The twins were right; he _did _like me! But what if he just wanted to stay as friends? I should just tell him, but I _just couldn't bring myself to do it! _

I gently squeezed his hand, then turned back and walked back into the Library. I _think _that I love him, I might, but I might not, too! All these emotions were so… meddlesome. I liked it better when I was a rock, no emotions, just there to defend the others. But even that was gone now, and I could never go back.

"I'm heading to bed," I quietly muttered, releasing 9's hand. I took a few steps then froze. _Just do it! It will only be good for you! _I spun on my heels, sprinted up and placed a small kiss on 9's cheek. My stomach awkwardly clenched as my lips met his warm burlap, and I instantly regretted it, but that's something you can't take back. I closed my eyes and ran blindly back to our room, on the verge of tears.


	5. Rain

**A/N: Here we are! Chapter 5, just about the halfway point of the story! There was some more fluffiness in this chapter, and also a few awkward scenes, but I won't waste your time with my incessant blathering. Remember, review and I'll love you forever! 3**

* * *

><p><em><strong>SD Ch. 5 – Rain<strong>_

I didn't know what happened to 9. He didn't show up all night, and I was a bit afraid that I'd scared him off with… with the kiss. I don't know what came over me, I just… y'know, kissed him. I seriously regretted it now.

It was lonely sleeping all by myself. The part of the bed next to me that was usually occupied by 9 felt too cold to be normal, and I found myself waking up every few hours, thinking that he'd be back. But, he never was.

At one point (it must've been about five in the morning) I couldn't get back to sleep. I lay, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about 9. _Will he feel like this when I'm dead? _I wondered. _I don't think I'd be able to stand it, especially if I knew that he was never coming back. _

But, then again, he might _not_ be. What if he didn't feel that way about me, and he left because of it? I didn't think that I could live with myself if that was the case.

I crept out of bed and decided to see if he was with the twins. When I made my way into the globe, I just barely stifled a gasp. Both twins were awake, sprawled out over a book.

"How long have you been up for?" I demanded.

3 raised his head and yawned a bit. _All night. We're busy reading; go away. _

"Do you know where 9 is?" I asked.

This sparked 4's interest. _Ooh, you're looking for him? Because you loovve him? _

I glared at her a bit. "No! Of course not. I just want to make sure that he's all right. It's still dark out; I wanted to make sure that he was… y'know, accounted for,"

_Well, we haven't seen him. _3 answered. _He might be out there, I dunno. We just want to finish._

I sighed. The twins weren't very helpful at the crack of dawn. "I'm going out to look for him." The twins ignored me. I groaned and returned to my room. I grabbed my exploring supplies (my skullmet, spear, and shield) and made for the entrance. When I arrived, I couldn't help but groan again. Rain was pouring down outside, bouncing off the ground and forming huge puddles. There was no way that I'd be able to find 9 in all that.

With a sigh, I returned to my room. What could I do first thing in the morning on a rainy day? Well, sleeping wasn't an option. I ruled that out even before I visited the twins. I dug my list of things to do out from under my bed, thinking that I could get a start on today's activity. However, it was still too dark to clearly read, so that sent me off with a new predicament.

Of course, I first tried to light the candle. Only then did I realize that the one we had was still burnt down to nothing but a wick. I wasn't really sure where the twins kept their candles, since 9 was always to one to fetch them, so I had to find them on my own. _Great, _I thought to myself. _This should be fun. _

The Library was quite dreary most of the time. Even when the sun was up, if it were overcast, the Library would be dull and grey, as it always is. This morning, however, it was completely black, accept for a small orange glow coming from the globe.

I crept back through the globe, careful not to draw attention to myself. Today, this was quite the easy feat. I was never really noticeable, and the twins were absorbed in their book. I began to search through their various shelves, looking for any candle.

After a short while, I found a shelf packed with many of those waxy sticks. Selecting one from the top, I awkwardly balanced it on my shoulder. I wasn't quite sure how to carry something so large back to my room, but I managed to get it there relatively quick. I jammed the blunt end into the metal candle holder, then fetched a matchstick from the box tilted up against the wall.

Striking the match on the rough strip, I carefully placed the flaming end onto the wick of the candle. It sizzled a bit, what appeared to be smoke coming off of the wick, but it did not ignite! I held out the match a bit further, for the fire was climbing its way up the handle, but the wick still didn't light. Eventually, when the hot fire was about to meet my metallic hands, I blew it out.

I grabbed another match, and repeated the act, trying to light it again. But again, it failed to light in time. As I went through the matches, my anger began to boil up. After about ten matches, I gave up. _I should tell the twins their freaking candles don't light, _I bitterly thought, glaring at the gleaming white stick.

Well, that was an epic waste of twenty minutes. The sky was still dark, the rain was still pattering, and I'd gotten nowhere. By then, I'd realized that I wouldn't be able to read my list any time soon, so I tried to think back to my plans.

_What do I have on there? _I wondered, wracking my brain. I silently cursed my bad memory, and tried my best to think about what things I still had to do. The drops hitting the roof didn't help much, either. _Rain, rain, go away. Come again when I'm not busy thinking about what I should do with the remaining four days of my life…_

Finally, it occurred to me. I'd actually had _Take a walk in the rain _written on my list. Take a _freakin'_ walk in the _freakin'_ annoying rain! Oh, please excuse my bitterness. Once I'm upset, I'm gonna be upset for the rest of the day.

This time, I decided to leave all my travelling supplies in my room. I know, I must be completely wacked to be out there with no weapon and no protective gear whatsoever, but I just wanted to enjoy a nice day in the rain. I even left my skullmet, the one thing that usually never left my sight, sitting on my bed.

So, I headed out, stripped down to the bear minimum. The cool rain (even though I was still slightly miffed at it) felt nice against my warm fabric. I didn't mind the fact that the water was soaking straight through me; I just loved the freshness of it all. It felt cleansing, for both mind and spirit. The morning was still cool, but I didn't mind. There was almost no wind, and the water's coolness helped clear my head.

I began to think as I continued to walk. _9, _I thought. _9, 9, 9… the one thing that I can't get off my mind… Is what the twins say true? Do I love him? Or are these emotions shielding other ones? The kiss last night… _I couldn't help but shiver at the memory. It had felt so good, so _right _to have my lips gently brushing 9's fabric. But that feeling had only lasted a moment, and the second that I had broken contact, I regretted it.

It was his face… that was what showed all his emotions. He looked confused, and shocked, and what I think might have been angry. But why would he be angry? Was it possible that he had feelings for another? But who? I found it increasingly hard to believe that he felt that way about any of the others. 5, possibly? No, no, even the thought was unbearable. They were friends, that was all. Could it have been 6? No, 6 only looked up to him since 9 listened to him. Maybe it wasn't anger… Oh, _I don't know! _

Then, I thought of those three words. The three words that could change my life so dramatically. The words I dreaded to say, and feared that I would regret for the rest of my life. The three syllables that I was so unsure of. _I love you. _

If I were to say them to 9, what would he say? Would he feel the same? Would he feel different? Would the twins mock me for the rest of my life if I were rejected? Could I even _stand_ being rejected? But what if 9 said them to me? Would I still think of them as true, or would I turn him down? Oh, why do emotions have to be _so complicated_?

Trying my best to keep my mind off my troubled emotions, I took in the world around me. With the rain, it was completely transformed. The sun had risen now, but it only provided a bit of grey light through the thick layers of clouds. The world was transformed with the rain. The piles of debris were clouded over by thick sheets of falling rain. And there was a smell, unlike anything that I knew. It smelled… fresh; I don't know how else to describe it. Like, the earth had been saturated, and the excess water was puddling on top.

The cloudburst changed me. I felt myself feeling different, calmer, more collected. Like I understood how the world was supposed to work. Even though everything's messed, and mixed up, I was beginning to realize that that is what makes life life. Without all the twists and turns, what would be the difference between life and death? The best way to live life is to give it everything you've got, and live fully every day. You had to take chances, even if there were consequences.

And this made a special kind of sense to me, since I only had four days left to live. Well, maybe three. I don't know. Being outside in this liquid sunshine, I felt it easier to keep track of the things I'd completed. On Day One, I'd taught the twins basic fighting techniques. Day Two had been the greenhouse day. Day Three was my day out with the twins. And today was Day Four. I was pleased with the amount of stuff I'd finished so far, but I still had quite a lot to do. Nothing more for today, though. I wanted to let what the rain had done to me sink in, so I'd stay this way a little bit longer.

I turned around when something caught my eye. Through the drizzle, I noticed something gleaming like silver in a pile of rubble. I made my way over and dug it out. When I saw what it was, I felt an awkward pang in my heart.

It was a small battery, just like the one 5 had given 9 for his light staff. I carefully placed it inside me, hoping that it would still work. Maybe, just maybe, if I could find the other parts…

And, the dreamy me that had been so concerned about the effect of the rainfall was left behind. I began to search, turning through piles of rubble for the other pieces. What had it been made of again? I couldn't help but smile when my eyes fell onto the wreckage of a car, just in front of me. It took some work, but I managed to jar the bulb out of the headlight.

After hiding under a sheet of plastic, I removed the battery from my chest and placed the small, round bulb on top of it. Nothing happened. Big surprise. I groaned a bit in frustration and thought back. _What was it that 5 always did after he placed the battery under the bulb? _Suddenly, it came to me. With one finger, I touched the metal bit below the bulb. A small spark leapt from my finger to the bulb, and it ignited, sending a soft yellowish glow around the rainy courtyard.

I smiled a bit in self-satisfaction. I'd never been one to build stuff, and I'd done better than I expected. Now, what else had there been…

Ah, yes. The candle holder-thing that 2 had used as a hat. And I knew exactly where to find one of those…

I returned the battery to my chest, and placed the bulb in there, too. It didn't really keep them dry, but at least they weren't out in the pouring rain. My fabric was completely soaked through now, and would absorb no more rainwater. I didn't mind, though. Now that I had the two main parts for my surprise project, I was quite content.

I slowly returned to my previous way of thinking, happily reflecting on life and its many mysteries. Who says you need company to have fun? As the warrior, I was quite used to being alone. I didn't enjoy it, but I could stand it. Still, many nights after I'd left 1, I'd wake screaming with no one there to comfort me, to say it was only a dream, to hold my hand until I calmed down, to gently stroke my back as I sobbed out the story to them. That was one of my favorite parts about living with 9 and the twins. Having someone there to share my life with.

The twins had always told me that the most pondered question from the humans was, _"What is the meaning of life?"_ Well, for someone like me, the answer is quite simple. For the longest time, I was sure of my purpose. We all are, aren't we? I was there to defend them; to keep them safe. But I couldn't do that. 1 and I had very different definitions of the word _safe. _His version means locked away where they can't be hurt. My version is being free with nothing to threaten them. Unfortunately, with the war raging at the time, 1's theory was preferable.

But, the meaning of life was now becoming clear to me. The one purpose that I was put on the earth was to be there for the others. To be there to take care of them. To be there to help them get to safety. To be there to watch their backs. To be there to make them feel whole. That is the _true_ meaning of my life.

I returned to the Library after a few more hours of thought. When I arrived, I realized that I was freezing cold, and was happily greeted by the twins and a warm towel. I never really understood towels, but whatever it was, it helped to suck some of the wetness out of me.

Once the first towel was soaked, the twins set off to fetch another one. I headed back to my room, where my skullmet and other supplies still sat on my bed. The covers were undisturbed, and there was so sign of 9. I looked over at the candlestick, a sudden burst of anger boiling up in me. It had made a fool of me earlier, and caused me to be distracted from completing my life. I went over, ripped the candle out and thrust it to the ground.

Then, using the sharpened end of my spear, I pried the candle holder from the base. It took some work, but it finally popped off. I narrowed my eyes and looked down at the candle, lying innocently on the ground. I whispered viciously, "You're next…"

_7! _3 suddenly exclaimed.

I jammed the candle holder into my chest and turned to meet his gaze. "Yes?" I innocently asked.

_What are you doing? _4 demanded. _Why is one of our candles on the ground?_

I crossed my arms. "It wouldn't light. You guys know how I can't stand it when something doesn't work right for me!"

3 chuckled a silent laugh. _7, you know that the wick might've been damp, right? It takes a bit longer for the candle to burn if the wick is damp. _

Oh. Well, _that _was quite the simple solution. "Do you guys know where I could find a dry-wicked candle?"

_Not right now, _4 shook her head, smiling a bit. _All the candles will be at least a bit wet from all this blasted rain._

"Hey, you guys, I like the rain," I grinned a bit. "And do you have that second towel for me yet?"

3 handed forth the new towel, which I wrapped about my shoulders. I was still a bit chilled from being soaked, so I was thankful for the warmth from the absorbent cloth.

"Did you guys find 9?" I asked. "I want to talk to him."

Before 4 could say anything about my romantic interest in him, 3 answered, _Yes, he's in the globe. I think he's up looking at some stuff about the Scientist. _

I nodded gratefully, then made towards the globe. I could tell that some one was inside, for there was the flickering light of a candle dancing along the floor. I entered to find 9, his back to me. I wasn't quite sure how to approach him, but I worked up my courage and walked up to him. I placed one hand on his shoulder, making him turn around.

"Oh," he sighed. "It's you."

"So..." I awkwardly began. "What have you been… doing today?"

"Um… not… much, I guess," he replied. "Just… y'know… stuff."

It felt awkward even talking to him. I guess this is what happens when you kiss you best friend. Somehow, I knew that it would find its way into our conversation, even if we avoided it. So, I decided to bring it up. "Uh… about that… thing I did last night…"

"Yeah…" he rubbed one of his arms.

"I'm sorry if you were… offended, or anything," I quietly stated. "I… I just don't know what came over me… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was… nice, I guess," he replied. "I mean, I didn't mind it, or anything."

Oh, how nice. He liked the kiss. So I guess things weren't ruined after all.

Wait.

He _liked _the _kiss? _What? Could it be… he really liked me? Well, we'd moved out of one awkward phase into another.

"So, what have you been up to?" he asked, changing the subject. "You've been gone nearly all day."

"Oh, yeah, I had a lot of… stuff; tons of stuff to do," I replied, avoiding his gaze. "You know me, busy, busy, busy!"

"With what, exactly?" he questioned.

"Oh, just a little... project of mine," I answered. I didn't want to spoil the surprise just yet. However, I couldn't help my eyes from wandering towards a pole, balancing precariously on one of the twin's shelves. It was just about the right length as the pole that he'd used for his light staff, and I was tempted to grab it, but I feared that it would give away my surprise.

9 followed my gaze as he looked to the pole. "What's that for?" he questioned.

My mind flew, trying to come up with a believable excuse. "Oh, I just need it to… make a new… spear. Yeah, I found the blade when I was out for the walk, but I need a stick to mount it on."

I grabbed a small stool that the twins had crafted long ago and stood on it, trying to reach the pole. Better grab it now, before I forgot why I was really looking for it.

One of the legs on the stool was a bit shorter than the others, hence making it quake back and forth as I struggled to keep my balance. 9, noticing my discomfort, came up and placed his hands on my hips to help hold me steady. The action sent a hot flush leaping to my cheeks, but I tried my best to avoid his gaze. I stood on tiptoe and stretched out as far as I could, and just barely reached the rod.

From where he was standing, 9 was staring straight at my stomach, which was slightly swelled from the bulb, battery and candle holder. He eyed it suspiciously, and I tried my best not to notice.

When I climbed down, he asked, "Are you hiding something?"

"What?" I exclaimed. I laughed nervously, a fake-sounding, forced laugh. "Ha! Of course not. What would I be hiding?"

"Well, I thought, maybe a…" 9 trailed off, not finishing his thought. "It doesn't matter."

"9," I suddenly asked. "Do you… what do you think of the twins?" His expression remained blank. "I mean, what do you think of them _as_?" He still wasn't really getting it. I groaned a bit, too amused to be really annoyed. "Like, do you think of them as little siblings, or good friends?"

"Oh," 9 sighed. "In that case, I'm not really sure. They've always seemed young to me, even though they're technically older than me, but it's hard for me to think of them as just friends. We're all a family now, I think."

"Would you ever think of them as… your children?" What? I didn't know where this conversation was going. I was just making small talk with 9!

His eyebrows shot up. "Ch-children?" he stuttered. "N-no, of course not. They're more like siblings, I think."

"And am I just like a sister?" I prompted. "A big sister?"

9 sighed. "If any of the others asked me that, I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But with you…" he trailed off. "I'm beginning to think you're more. That first time I saw you, when you saved my life and destroyed that Cat Beast, something in me changed. Something that I never knew existed until I saw you. I think… I don't know what I think." He let his head droop a bit. "Everything's so messed up. My brain is such a fail. I mean, I don't understand anything."

Taking a metaphorical leap, I took his hand it held it up for the both of us to see. "Now, tell me. Explain to me what my hand feels like," I ordered.

"Well, it's cold itself," he stated. "But I get this… this feeling… nah, you wouldn't understand." He dropped my hand and looked to the floor.

I was tempted to tell him I would, but I receded back into my hard shell. To many emotions for one day. The parts for the light staff shifted a bit inside me as I sighed. I could barely conceal a groan, and grimaced instead. "Er… I'm heading to bed. See ya."

I stood to leave, taking the pole with me. I walked cautiously, so as not to move the bits inside me any more than necessary. It felt awkward and odd to be carrying something inside my stomach, and I didn't really like it. However, it kept the parts hidden from 9, and made it slightly easier to conceal a secret.

Once I'd safely hidden the pieces for the light staff under my bed, I couldn't help but wander back to the globe. I knelt outside, hidden in the shadows. Since the rain had made the clouds so thick, it was almost as dark as night. From inside the globe, I could hear 9 talking to the twins.

"Hey, have you guys noticed something's up with 7?" he asked them.

They flashed something that I couldn't understand. I know, they made little clicking noises, too, but I always found it way easier to understand when I was looking at them. 9 continued, "No, it's more like she's hiding something. Just a few minutes ago, it seemed like she had something inside her."

_Dang it!_ 9 knew already? I was hoping that he wouldn't catch on, so he would suspect anything. The twins flashed something else, and 9 responded, "Is that even possible?"

The twins flashed another thing, and one of them went into a long explanation. 9 made a sound that hinted that he was disgusted. "Ew, no! I couldn't believe you'd even think–"

The twins flashed something different, and 9 replied, "Yeah, of course. I've liked her since I first met her."

One of the twins flashed another different answer, and from what 9 said, I knew it was 4. "Well, yeah, I think. She's so amazing, I actually think that… I really, really love her."

I slapped my hands over my mouth. It was all I could do to conceal a gasp_. 9 loved me?_ I didn't think I'd ever hear him utter those words. Well, not to me anyway. If he'd known I'd been listening, he probably never would have admitted it. I probably would have found out from the twins, though. It was hard to keep anything from anyone around here.

"I'm going back to bed," he muttered. All of a sudden, my hiding place for the light staff didn't seem so secure. I sprinted back, vanishing into the room before he was even out of the globe. I ran into our room and dove under the bed, scooping up the four bits that were required for his light stick. I jammed the three smaller ones back into my chest, then leaned the pole up against the wall and sprinted out.

I headed back to the globe, careful to avoid 9 on the way in. I skidded to a stop in front of the twins. 3 elbowed his sister and pointed to me. 4 gasped a bit, then broke into a huge smile. _Oh, congrats on the… er, surprise!_

"You guys knew?" I asked.

_From what 9 told us, it was pretty easy to piece together, _3 stated.

"Just–don't tell him," I cried. "I still want it to be a surprise."

_Well, we hinted a bit, but he denied everything, _4 replied. _7, it's just so… amazing! Can I feel?_

Ok, things were getting a little bit weird. Sure, I let the younger twin come up and place a hand on my stomach. Her motive to do so was unknown by me. I mean, she'd seen 9's light staff before? What's the difference now?

_I can hardly believe it, _3 grinned. _I mean, you're probably one of the last people who we ever expected to do this! _

"O…k," I slowly replied. Things were getting stranger here by the minute. "And why wouldn't you expect me to do it?"

_We thought you didn't even like 9, _4 chuckled silently. _But I guess that's changed. Eh?_

Not much of this was making sense to me. "Ok, let's say from… from another point of view, what exactly is so… amazing?"

_Don't be silly, _4 smiled. _7, you know! You're growing a baby!_

My jaw gaped open a bit. "What?" I exclaimed, thinking I hadn't heard them right. "Did you say _growing a baby_?"

_Yes, a baby soul_, 3 nodded. _Isn't that why you're swelled?_

"No, no, no!" I cried, suddenly embarrassed. "I can't believe you'd think that. I mean, you know that I can't tell 9 my feelings. But you think that we'd have a _child_? Jeez, you guys! I thought you knew me better than that."

4 looked upset actually. _Well, if it isn't a baby soul, what is it?_

I sighed and opened my chest, taking out the pieces for the light stick. "I was going to surprise him, since I can tell that he misses his staff. But, now you two have got him off thinking he's a father-to-be." I rolled my eyes. "I still can't really believe you guys would say that." I sighed. "I should probably smooth things out with him. If I don't…"

I trailed off, then turned and ran back to my room. I made sure that the light stick pieces were safely hidden inside me before entering. 9 was sitting on the edge of his bed, his back to me. The number 9, written so many years ago by our creator, had faded slightly, but it still stood out. I was the first to break the silence.

"9," I began. He turned. "Please, please discard everything the twins told you. It was a misunderstanding, and they just… didn't get it. I'm not carrying a child; it was just an accident that they assumed that. I hope you weren't… offended, or anything."

He shook his head slightly. "Nah, it's cool. Somehow, I doubted it would be true the entire time. It just doesn't really seem like you."

"Sorry if this is… embarrassing or awkward for you," I rubbed my elbow, looking at the ground.

"It's ok," he leaned back a bit. "You just have to be calm and mature, y'know?"

I chuckled a bit, then sighed again. I sat down on the bed next to him. "It still doesn't really feel like I'm dying," I told him. "The last four days just seemed like pretty good average days."

"You should try to think of them as that," he told me. "You'll enjoy life more if you aren't focusing on how soon it's gonna end."

He was right. As usual. I took his hand and leaned up against his side, letting my head rest on his shoulder. "9, I lo— I… I'll be off to bed." I still couldn't quite bring myself to say it. I was tempted to, oh so very tempted, but I just… couldn't. Even the thought made my stomach clench and squish awkwardly.

As I stood to get into bed, he clasped one of my hands between his and gently placed his lips on top of it. My heart fluttered and a wave of heat shot up my arm. I blushed a little, but couldn't help but smile as well. He slowly removed his lips and released my hand.

I slid silently into bed, pulling the sheet up over my head. I loved him, but… I didn't even know anymore. Where had my life gone so _wrong_?


	6. Surprise

**A/N: Whoa, how long has it been? Ten day? Man, I need to update faster. I've had this chapter finished since Wednesday, but I just couldn't find the time to post it. :P Anyway, ** **I need to credit Google Translate for some of the French in this chapter, and the idea for the second part of this was inspired by Freida Right. Don't forget to leave a review! Anyway, I won't keep you waiting any longer.**

* * *

><p><em><strong>SD Ch. 6 – Surprise<br>**_

I'm not sure what woke me. Maybe it was the sunlight, beaming through the shattered windows. Maybe it was the cool breeze blowing in. Maybe it was something else.

When I cracked open my optics, 9 was lying in a very awkward position on top of me. I was on my back, and he'd rolled over so he was lying directly on my stomach. I struggled a bit to push him off, but he was still sound asleep. I mustered up all my strength and gave one powerful shove that sent him rolling back to his side of the bed.

I stumbled out of bed, falling onto the ground on my back. I panted slightly, but couldn't help but look back up at 9. He was still slumbering sweetly. He looked quite a bit like a child, now hunched up on his stomach. I didn't want to wake him, but I figured that if he'd managed to stay asleep this long, he wouldn't be up any time soon.

I retrieved my to-do list from under the bed and crossed off _take a walk_. Now, what else was I to do?

Seeing the pole leaned up against the wall reminded me of the parts that I'd collected yesterday for his light staff. He'd be pleasantly surprised when I gave it to him. At least, I hoped he would be. Since I didn't want to sleep with the three extra parts inside me, I'd dropped them off with the twins before I'd fallen asleep. I decided to finish reconstructing the light staff while 9 was still resting.

I stood, dusting myself off. The motion of standing so suddenly caused me to feel slightly dizzy, and my vision swam for a few moments before returning to normal. I walked over to where I'd balanced the new pole against the wall, and reached out to grasp it. I turned with it in my hand, and then realized something.

It _wasn't_ in my hand.

I turned back and snatched at it again, trying to grab it, but I misjudged to distance and missed it again. Finally, after a few more tries, I cracked and moved forward until my hands hit the wall, then blindly felt my way to the stick.

Trying to pass the last few moments off to sleep deprivation, I moved on. There was no use standing around, waiting for 9 to wake up.

The morning air was crisp and cool; all traces of yesterday's rain were completely gone. The sun's light looked almost yellow in it's puddles on the floor. I wore my skullmet over to the globe, as I always did, even though I knew there weren't many dangers in the Library. However, it felt natural to have the bird's skull as a protective outer layer on my head. It made me feel strong and free, like the birds that had once flitted through the lush green shrubbery.

When I entered into the globe, the twins were asleep, snuggled up against each other. Go figure. They hadn't slept at all two nights ago, since they'd been up reading. I was slightly curious to know _what_ exactly they'd been reading, but I had another purpose in mind.

From behind one of their huge books, I dug out the three top bits for the light staff. The candle holder, the light bulb and the battery. I'd found them all out in the Emptiness yesterday while out for my walk. Now, came the hard part.

Putting them together.

I found a few coppery wires on another of the twins' shelves, which I used to strap on the candle holder to the pole. I didn't really know how 9 did it, for the candle holder was a very awkward part to attach to the long, spindly pole. It took me a few tries before I noticed that at the bottom of the candle holder, there was a small hole, just about the same size as the rod.

Well. I felt stupid.

After securing the candle holder, I placed in the battery and the bulb. It flickered on again, buzzing slightly. I swung the light stick around a bit; making sure that the candle holder wouldn't come flying off whenever 9 moved it. After a few tests, I was pretty sure that it was good enough to present to 9. Now, how should I present it to him…?

I remembered that a few years ago, back before everything was filthy and destroyed, the twins had come across a few sheets of light and fluffy paper. Tissue paper, they called it, and said that it was what humans had used to wrap gifts. Well, they still had one or two sheets left, and the light staff _was _my gift to 9. I figured they'd be fine with me taking a sheet.

They kept all their most treasured items in one of the top shelves, where they thought no one knew about it. However, I was very perceptive. I'd seen them venture up there empty-handed and come back down with one of their favorite books, a pen and paper, or any other artifacts that they didn't like to leave lying around.

Carefully, I worked their elevator until I reached the top-most shelf. There was a thick volume, with something written in another language, that I had to slide aside to get to their hiding room. Really, it was just a well-hidden shelf, but having all their precious items there made it feel like a great spot to hide.

When I shifted the book aside, I couldn't help but gasp. If you thought the twins were pack rats from their collections in the globe, this would blow you out of the water.

Items overflowed from chipped mugs, jars, and anything else they could find to store things in. There were pens, papers, a few assorted plastic items, small human toys, something that looked between a spoon and a fork, a metal pin with a flower on it, and many more things that I do not care enough to name.

I did notice however, that in one corner, underneath a cardboard box filled with small plastic animals, there were a few sheets of lightly colored tissue paper. Carefully, I made my way over, watching my every step so as not to disrupt any of their random treasures. I gently lifted the box off and picked up the top sheet of tissue paper. I figured that it had once been a bright shade of yellow, but the sun had bleached it paler. Nonetheless, I slowly wrapped it around 9's new light staff, covering it.

The paper crinkled under my metal hands, but I made sure that every bit of the light staff was hidden underneath. The shape was still pretty obvious, but I suspected that 9 would enjoy the wrapping paper.

As a finishing touch, I took the rope from around my waist and tied it in a bow to keep the wrapping paper from falling off. I then stood back, admiring my handiwork. The staff looked nice, all swaddled in light yellow paper.

As I leaned back, my shoulder brushed a jar, which promptly fell over, spilling it's contents and making a crash that I was sure would have awakened everybody. I stood still for a moment, waiting for the twins to come rushing up and yell at me, but they never did. I carefully knelt down, picking up each of the items that had fallen out. There was quite the assortment of pens, pencils, paintbrushes, small candles and poles that had been in it, and I tried my best to arrange them as they had been before.

I grabbed the light staff and turned to leave, wanting to get out of there before I messed anything else up. But, just as I was two steps away from the elevator, something caught my eye.

Underneath a pile of multicolored felts, there was a box. It wasn't very big, only about as wide as I was tall, but there was something inviting about it. I moved over slowly, not wanting to knock anything else down. I removed the felts from the top, undid the clasp that held the top closed, and opened it.

A small puff of dust rose up from it, but as it cleared, I nearly gasped again. It was a jewelry box! Inside, there were many small metal accessories, some of which I recognized. There were rings, and bracelets, and even a deep red pendant, attached to a chain. I spotted a few dangly earrings, slightly similar to the ones I had connected to my skullmet.

In the top bit of the box that opened up, there was a mirror. I barely ever got to see myself, and when I did, it was onto for an instant. I wasn't vain; I didn't really care what I looked like. However, I was always slightly curious to how I looked. Today, I think the only way to describe myself would be to say I looked weak. All the spark, the _fire_, had faded from my eyes, making me look lifeless and dull. I felt that way, too. My body looked fine; I completely ignored the slightly sloppy stitches from the Bug Beast's attack. It was my eyes. I think that they were already dead at that point. _It must be torture for 9 to have to look into my sad, soulless eyes,_ I bitterly thought. _I've lost my personality, and I'm already half dead. What'll be the difference in three days when my body just shuts down? I should just face it, if 9 ever had feelings for me, they died with my spirit. I'm nothing but a shell. I might as well give up now._

Only then did I notice an inscription on the glass of the mirror. It said, "_When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place." _What the? Was this some sort of mind reading mirror, or something? I ignored the slight oddness of how the phrase fit my situation perfectly, and began to consider it. So then, what would I give up on? Well, that was easy. _Life_. I have no reason to live. I'm already as good as dead. And why did I hang on so long?

What was odd was that I instantly knew the answer. In that one instant, it all became clear to me. The reason I'd kept living, stayed so optimistic, tried to complete my life, was one simple thing, that I'd never really noticed before.

_9._

_I have to tell him, _I thought. _I just have to. He's kept me living all this time, and he has to know that I love him more than he ever would have thought. _

As I turned to leave, my foot accidentally bumped into a book, which had been precariously balanced on its edge. It promptly fell over, sending up another cloud of dust. When the dust stilled, I looked down at the book, which had fallen open to its first page.

On the first page, there was a photograph of a young girl with a slightly younger boy standing next to her. It was labeled, _Matthew's Fifth Birthday. _I turned back, wanting to get out of there before the twins discovered me, but something in me made me turn around and turn the page, and on the next one was another picture of the girl. She looked slightly older, with her hair now braided into pigtails. She was wearing a dress that looked slightly shabby, but smiling brilliantly, despite her appearance. This one was labeled, _First Day of School._

As the book went on, the pictures continued to show every milestone in the girl's life. And in each picture, she'd get a little older. I stopped at one, nearly half way through the book. She was now probably about fifteen, and she had her arm linked with a boy's next to her. It read, _First Date. _I didn't know much about dates, since they weren't really a stitchpunk tradition, but 2 had once told me that it was when two humans went some place together. It was supposed to be romantic, but I couldn't see how it would be. I mean, I'd taken 9 many places and never really thought of them as being _romantic. _I mean, we watched the sun set and rise, we went to the greenhouse, whenever I wanted to explore, I'd drag him along, but could all these things be considered dates? I didn't know.

The pictures continued, and from then on, almost every one of them featured to boy, who I learned was named Sam. The girl would always be smiling when she was with him, and I'd never seen someone so happy before.

After a few more flips of the pages, I found what I'd been hoping for. This one showed _My Wedding Day. _The girl was wearing a brilliant white gown, encrusted with shiny white sequins, her hair curled neatly, falling in ringlets around her face. She wore a white veil, and Sam was on her arm, looking very sophisticated in a black suit. Marriage was another human tradition that I didn't know very much about. However, I did know that when people were married, they loved each other very much.

When I saw the next picture, I couldn't help but smile. The girl was holding a small baby in her arms, wrapped in cloth, peacefully asleep. Sam had his hand on her shoulder, looking proudly at his wife and child. Only then did I realize that the girl wasn't a girl anymore. She was a woman.

The next picture was one of Sam, done up in a military uniform. I'd seen far too much fighting in my life, so I promptly flipped the page, but instantly regretted doing so.

The next page had what I recognized as a telegraph, yellowing with age, but still all-too legible. Words leapt out to me: _Regret to inform you... your husband is missing in action... presumed dead... _

I flipped the page, unable to read any more. The next picture was of the woman and her child, who was now about five, standing by a gravestone that read, _Sam Martin, 1911-1934. _I instantly knew that he'd been a victim of the war. I turned the page, then realized that there were no more pictures.

That had been the last one.

However, the back cover was signed, _Jennifer Johnson. _I smiled, thinking of the girl. Her life had been so complete, with a husband, and a child.

Suddenly, I noticed a scuttling noise coming from many shelves below. I slammed the book shut, grabbed the light staff, and hopped out onto the elevator. I would've jumped down if it weren't for the twins, watching dubiously from below. I slowly lowered down the elevator until I reached the ground floor. 4 crossed her arms and glared, but 3 couldn't wait another instant. _What were you doing up in our treasure room? _he demanded. _You better not have touched anything!_

I shook my head. "No, I only used some wrapping paper for 9's light staff. I didn't touch anything else, I swear!" Ok, I lied occasionally when I knew the twins wouldn't be pleased if I told them the truth.

_7, you could've just asked us, _4 sighed. _We would've let you. _

"Well, you two were asleep when I was heading up, and I was sure you wouldn't mind," I replied.

_You wanna know what you should do today? _3 asked, completely changing the subject. _You should learn how to speak French! _

4 turned to her brother. _Oh, that would be so cool! I mean, we could teach it to you, no problem! As long as you wouldn't mind, of course._

Well, the only other thing I had to do today was give 9 his light staff, which wouldn't be hard. "What the heck?" I shrugged. "I'm in."

The twins began to explain it to me, using what they called _phonetic_ spellings. Since they didn't speak, and I wasn't quite sure what it was supposed to sound like, it was sort of hard.

"_Bonjour," _I said after some instruction. "There, was that right?"

_Sort of, _3 replied. _You have just about the worst French accent ever, but it's a start. _

_Once you know it, you'll be able to have conversations with us that 9 won't understand! _4 happily commented. _And if you want to know how to say something, you ask, 'Comment dit-on pencil en __français__?'_

_Crayon, _3 answered. _But not like the coloring one. _

_I was just using that as an example, 3, _4 said, looking at her brother like he was a complete moron. _7 can ask what ever she wants._

"How do you say–" I began, but was cut off by an elbow from 4. "Oh, yeah. _Comment dit-on _9 _en __français__?" _

4 clapped a bit at my progress, and 3 replied, _C'est Neuf. You say it sort of like nuff, but with a more sort of a more... E-ish sound. Like the French word for E._

_I remember, a book once said that the sound is sort of like you just got hit in the gut, like a groan, _4 stated.

"O... kay," I slowly said.

_C'est bon! _3 suddenly exclaimed. _Etes-vous pr_ê_t á parler avec 9? _

I blinked. "I didn't get a word of that."

_Tu ne comprends pas? _4 asked, then translated over, _You don't understand? Oh, he just said that's good and asked if you were ready to talk to 9. _

"Oh," I sighed. "No, I'm most definitely not ready."

_Do you want to study some more? _3 asked. _If you want, we could feed you the lines, so to speak. For example, when he comes up, I want you to say, 9, __avez-vous une __carte?__ Parce que je__ suis perdu__ dans tes yeux__._

4 looked shocked. _But 3, that means– _3 cut her off with a series of flashes that I couldn't understand. _Oh, yeah. It's just a greeting. _She then winked at her brother. I was beginning to feel slightly suspicious that they were in on some joke.

However, they were the _twins_. When was the last time they'd played a joke?

I listened to them blather on about French for a while longer until I'd picked up enough to have a brief conversation with 9. I hid the light staff behind a few books as the twins waddled out in search of him. I wasn't very enthusiastic on talking to him (I was afraid I'd mess up and look like an idiot) but I had to now.

When they came pulling him in, I couldn't help but chuckle at his confusion. He blinked blearily around, still half asleep. "Whuh…" he muttered, trying to rub some of the sleep from his eyes.

_We said, 7 wants to show you something, _3 slowly flashed. He blinked something quickly to 4, who ran up and elbowed me.

I stumbled forwards a few steps, then stopped just in front of 9. He looked patiently but expectantly at me. My brain went blank as I struggled to remember all the French that the twins had taught me. 4 joined her twin, who was now standing just behind 9. Noticing my discomfort, they clicked, _Say, 'salut'! It's the informal greeting! But you don't pronounce the T, remember?_

"Oh… um, _Salut, 9." _I waved a little bit. "_Tout est super, et j'ai eu des jumeaux de m'apprendre le __français__! Que pensez-vous?" _

9 blinked. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" he asked. "Something must be wrong with my auditory sensors. It almost sounded like you were speaking… _French_."

"_Je parle en __français," _I nodded.

_7! 7! _3 cried, waving over 9's shoulder. _Don't forget the phrase we gave you! _

"Oh, yeah…" I muttered, wracking my brains for what they'd said. "What was it? What was it?" Suddenly, it came to me. "Oh!_ 9, __avez-vous une __carte?__ Parce que je__ suis perdu __dans tes yeux__. _There, was that right?"

9 looked stunned. "Uh… what?" he asked. When I noticed the twins doubled over in laughter behind him, I began to realize something was up. "7, you _do_ know that the twins taught me French, right?"

I couldn't help it as my jaw gaped open a bit. "What? No! They said… but…" I hung my head. "Oh, god, I'm gonna kill you guys!' The twins however were still caught up in their silent laughing fit.

"Do you even know what you just said?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. The twins fed me that line. Could you… could you translate it? I want to make sure that the twins didn't make me say something stupid."

"Why don't we translate it over together?" 9 asked. Taking a pen off the ground, he wrote on a nearly blank piece of paper, _Avez-vous une carte? Parce que je suis perdu dans tes yeux. _"Do you know any of that, right off the bat?" he asked.

"Uh… I recognize _Parce que," _I said."It mean because, right? And _yeux _is eyes. Is _carte _map? Or is it card?"

"In this context, it's a map," he said. "_Avez-vous _means 'do you have' and _une carte _is a map, like you said."

"So… we're talking about maps now?" I asked. "What is this? A conversation with 5?"

"You have to hear the last part for it to make sense," 9 told me. "It says, '_Do you have a map? Because I'm lost in your eyes."_

Well.

From now on, I know _not _to let the twins teach me anything that I don't understand. An intense blush crept to my face, and the words just spilled out. "Oh, 9… I'm sorry, I didn't… know what I was saying… I swear… I'll never… say… anything…"

I trailed off when I noticed his expression. He was smiling playfully, grinning as he usually did. "Don't worry about it," he said. "If it's true… well, I must say I'm very flattered."

I knew what was coming next. _I just don't feel that way about you._ However, he continued, "I definitely felt that way when I saw _you_." He chuckled a bit. "And at the time, you were even handing 5 a map."

"And there was my shield," I reminded him, gaining back some courage. "Don't forget that. Your first words to me were, _'You dropped this.' _What the what?"

"I'm such a dork," he ducked his head.

I chuckled. "Duh. That's what makes you so great to be around."

"Remember that time I tripped," he slowly began, his smile widening. "And I fell into your lap?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Gosh, yes. I definitely wasn't expecting that."

We laughed for a little bit, reflecting on the good times we'd had. Without fully realizing it, I raised one of my hands so it stroked the pulley of 9's zipper. He froze when he felt me touch him.

"S-7," he stuttered. "What are you—what are you doing?" He didn't really look angry; I couldn't place his expression.

I dropped my hand. "Sorry, I just don't know what…"

9 placed a finger on my lips. "_Ma chère, taisez-vous, pour le moment est venu pour nous d'être ensemble_."

I didn't understand it, but I somehow knew it was something romantic. He moved his hand from my lips to my cheek, gently rubbing it. _"Vous êtes la lumière dans mon monde de ténèbres."_

The French sounded so beautiful coming from his mouth, even if I couldn't understand it. Now I wished I'd listened a bit better to the twins.

_"Mais, je dois vous demander, vous sentez-vous la même chose pour moi?"_

I was about to answer, but cut myself off. I didn't know what it meant still, and I didn't want to answer wrong. "I have something for you," I suddenly said, changing the subject and pulling away. His hand returned to his side. When I turned away, I realized how flushed I felt being that close to 9. Trying to look as if nothing was up, I returned to where I'd hidden the light staff.

I dug it out then returned to him. "Ok, close your eyes," I told him. "And hold out your hands."

He obliged, and I placed the wrapped light staff in his open palms. "You can open them now," I alerted him.

He slowly opened his eyes, and his eyebrows shot up when he saw the familiar shape. "Is this… no…"

I nodded. "Unwrap it."

He tore off the yellow wrapping, and looked beyond amazed. "Oh my gosh…" he whispered, his eyes locked to the stick. "7… how did you…"

"I thought you'd like a new one," I grinned, happy that he was satisfied.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed, hugging me tightly. "I can't believe it!"

"No problem," I replied once he released me. "I'm always willing to help out a friend."

"Now I wish I had something to give you," he looked down.

"Just being here with you is the greatest gift I could have," I smiled purely.

The twins, who had remained silent during our conversation, now approached. _It's so sweet to see you two together,_ 4 happily flashed.

3 elbowed his twin in the ribs. _What my sister means is, it's nice how well you two get along._

I looked at 9. "Yeah, we're buds," I wrapped an arm around his shoulders. However, it felt… _wrong_. Like something in me disagreed completely. _No, we weren't buds, we were…?_

_I do wish you two would kiss, though,_ 4 stated, staring off into space.

Shocked expressions found there way onto 9 and my face at the exact same time. I turned to look at him just as he turned to look at me. As a result, our optics clinked together, and I stumbled back.

_Oh yeah, I wasn't supposed to mention kissing until they've established a full romance, _4 slowly said. _Sorry!_

I blushed a bit, embarrassed by 4's words. "I think that's enough for tonight, buddy," I told her, placing a hand on her head. "Maybe you and your brother should hit the sack a little earlier?"

3 seemed relieved to be off the subject of 9 and me. _Yeah, sis, 7's right. I'm exhausted. Let's go._

Once I was sure that both twins had found their way back into the globe, I turned my attention back to 9. He was twisting the bulb on the light staff, casting a flash of yellow lift every few seconds. After continuing this for a little while, he noticed I was watching him. "Sorry," he said, rubbing one arm. "The twins can just be so awkward sometimes."

He said _awkward_. Not wrong, or weird. Just awkward. It could mean that he was too embarrassed on the subject. Of course, I was too…

I walked up to 9, until I was only millimeters from his chest. I looked up into his eyes. "Tell me, 9," I instructed him. "What do you see?"

He had to tilt his head down a bit, since he was a little taller than I was, but finally managed to lock his gaze with mine. He looked into my eyes, the same eyes I'd seen reflected earlier today.

"Well… they're big," he informed me. "And luminous. I think that they're a gateway to your soul. They have a certain fire in them, just like you, but another special beauty, and they're overall captivating, and intriguing, and mysterious."

I'd never heard anyone call me mysterious before.

He continued, "Mysterious eyes for a mysterious girl with a mysterious past full of mysterious feelings. But it's the mysteries behind you that make me want to know so much more about you. And I'm not quite sure how to do that. You seemed so sure of who you were, and what you were meant to be, until just five days ago. Back then, you masked your emotions. And that made you seem cool, confident and collected. But now, you seem to be more open, exploring new depths of your soul. You're still learning that for some things, you have to let your heart decide. You have to be yourself, for the real you is a wonderful, funny, sweet little girl that just happens to be my…" He trailed off, realizing that maybe honesty wasn't always the best policy.

"Your what?" I asked, looking into his eyes. "I'm listening."

"You just happen to be the most lovely thing in my world right now," he finished his statement. "And I can't stand the thought of loosing you. Somehow, I know we'll find a way to save you. I just _know_ it! And I'll do whatever it takes to find that way, and to keep you alive. Because if you died, my heart would surely die with you. And I love you too much to ever let you go."

He placed a hand on my cheek, and slowly directed my head up towards his. I closed my eyes, letting his cool metal fingers guide my face towards his soft lips. Just as our lips were about to meet, I felt a sharp throb to my forehead. I opened my eyes to see my vision swimming with white and black speckles, then fell slowly back into darkness.


	7. Dance

**A/N: Wow! Second-last day already? This story just flew by! The second half of this chapter has been expected for quite a while now, so enjoy! And another big thanks for Freida Right, for inspiring most of this chapter. And, I'd like to thank eHow for teaching me how to waltz! Don't forget to drop a comment before reading! Thanks! ^^  
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><p><em><strong>Chapter 7 – Dance<strong>_

When I woke the next morning, my head was pounding like crazy. I lay still for a few moments, trying to organize my thoughts. I'd been talking to 9 when I passed out… right? The previous night's events were blurry in my memory, from the time I sent the twins to bed and on. I wasn't completely sure if 9's confession had been real, or just a figment of my imagination. As I pondered this, my head gave another series of painful thumps, and I forced my mind blank. I stared at the ceiling, listening to the tick of the old grandfather clock.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick…_

Wait… since when had there been a grandfather clock in the library? It took me a few seconds to realize the ticking wasn't a clock, it was water dripping. But when had it rained?

I distinctly remembered a rainstorm yesterday morning. Or had it been two days ago? I wasn't even sure if that was real anymore. Maybe it hadn't been rain, just really, really wet air…

I stood up, ignoring the protestant pounds from my head, and slapped myself in the face. "Wake up, 7!" I yelled at myself. "You're loosing your mind here!"

_Maybe that's ok, _a little voice in the back of my head told me.

"Oh, great," I said sarcastically. "And now I'm hearing voices. What's next?"

9 must've heard me talking to myself, for he rushed in. "7!" he exclaimed, his mouth gaping open and closed several times after. "Wh-w-what—I mean, you're up now… but what happened?"

"I dunno," I shrugged. "It's all a little… fuzzy. What happened last night again?"

"I'm asking you!" he cried, looking what I thought might be exasperated.

"Oh," I slowly said, like I just realized it.

He looked like he was about to scream. He inhaled very slowly, then let it all out in a long sigh, releasing some of his tension. "I'm sorry. I've just been sort of freaked. I thought you weren't gonna wake up." He paused a moment, then answered, "Last night, just after you sent the twins back to the globe, we… talked for a bit. Then you passed out, remember? I carried you back here, and now…"

He didn't think I remembered his speech. That meant he still didn't really admit it to himself. _I have to tell him, _I thought. _Today's Day 6. I've put it off much to long already. If not now, then it will probably be never._

"So, what do you want to do today?" he finally asked after a long, awkward silence between us.

"I want to enjoy life some more before I forget how to tell left from right," I told him. I pointed over one shoulder. "That's right, right?" What? Just wanted to be sure.

Unfortunately, 9 shook his head. "No. It's left."

Well, I guess it's too late for me now. Better pack up and head out to the crazy ward.

Then, 9 burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, that _is _right, I just had to do that!"

I couldn't help but be annoyed, in a pleasant way. "Anyway, I just want to do something that I've always wanted to do, but never really had the courage for."

"Yes?" 9 asked. I could tell that he was trying to guess what it could be.

"I've always wondered why 8 was so attached to that magnet of his," I stated. "And, I found this."

I held up the small red magnet that I'd found while out for the walk.

"I think 2 once told me it… it disrupts brainwaves, or something," I continued. "So I decided to experience it for myself. At least once, I mean."

9 shrugged. "What the heck? I'm in. I've always sort of wondered that, too."

I looked down at the magnet, and slowly raised it above my head, as I'd seen 8 do so many times in his life. Time seemed to slow down as the magnet's pull interrupted my thoughts, scattering my brain. The colors of the room began to swim and change, pulsating green, blue, and pink. "Whoa…" I slurred. My mind felt weak; I couldn't quite focus on any one thing. I seemed only half aware of 9, waving his hands in front of my face.

"I dun want no trouble, y'all," I waved my hand at him. "Go 'way."

"7, I'm not sure this is good for you," he yelled. "I mean, what if—"

He cut himself off as I held the magnet out to him. "Take it," I commanded, thrusting it towards him.

Nervously, he raised it to his head, before he broke into a goofy grin. "Oh my gaaaaawd," he drawled. "I am… I don't even know any more."

I ripped the magnet away from him and returned it to above my head. Having it away allowed some of my normal thoughts to return, thoughts that easily slid away when the magnet was nearby. With it's help, I had not a care in the world. I felt bubbly and floaty.

Spreading my arms, I dreamily stated, "9, look a' me! I'm a pretty butterflah!"

"I wonder wha' the twins're doin'," 9 droned, as if he didn't really care. "Maybe it's just the magnet talkin', but I think that you're real beautiful."

I was too focused on the magnet to really hear what he said. I suddenly bent down and picked up a sheet of fabric off the bed. I wrapped it around my shoulders, then said, "Look a' me! I'm 1!"

9 chuckled a bit, then looked blank, as if he couldn't remember what he was laughing at. He suddenly looked to me and said, "Maybe this is all a dream."

I burst out laughing. "Whut? O' course not, ya big 9."

"3 said you should go for a Che-ch-ch-" he stuttered a bit. "Che-check up when ya feel badder."

"Later," I dismissed, stumbling over to the wall. "I'm dyin', I deserve some free time, ok?"

9, who was staring off into space, suddenly cried, "I got it! Did ya ever notice that clouds look like… clouds? Weeeeird, huh?"

I stared out one of the high windows. "You're right," I garbled. "I wonder why that is… sumtimes, I wish that I was human, so I could be more like… humans."

"What's the difference?" 9 asked. Picking up a piece of what looked like a black tassel, he placed it on his head like hair. "I am a man, moving loudly through my large… human… house, and shootin' at things… like stuff with my… my boom-stick."

"It's just like you really are," I stated. "What was really cute though, was human babies. They was this cute." I held out my arms to show, but one of them only twitched, then fell back to my side. I passed this off and showed with the other arm. "I mean, the twins is cute, but babies is cuter. Like, they is the cutest things that look like little babies, and I jus' think that they is the cutest things."

"Bu' they don' have zippers," 9 said, tapping his own pulley with one finger. "Tha' means they made of fleessh."

"Synch-st-stitchpunk babies will be cute, too," I told him. "Just like li'l Roberto, o'er there." With my good arm, I motioned to the small person standing in the corner. "Hey! Hey, Rob! Whassup?" He didn't respond. "Oh my grated cheese, 9, he's ignor-oring me!" I stomped one foot, nearly loosing my balance in the process. "Pay attention to your teacher, Billy!"

"I thought that he was Bob," 9 looked confused.

I blinked. "Oh, yeah. Listen to me, Bob. I am da boss!"

Bob fell down. "Oh, Bob, don't be sad. We can't all be as ludicrous as 9." I blinked when I realized that '_Bob'_had been my spear, propped up against the wall.

9's eyes lit up. "Ya think I'm ludicrous?" He reached out and hugged me. "You're so niiice. I mean, woooow. I don' know why, bu' the twins tol' me tha' you can be my girl."

"And I coul' raise a li'l baby, that is be the cutest baby of all babies. And I'd name her, Yvonna, the Stick. Or maybe Lamp Post Jr. What d'you think, 9?"

"I'd name her Scree," he stated, standing up straight. "I jus' thought it up, and it means 9 is the awesomest and I am, so we should name 'Er that."

"Brilliantastic!" I beamed. "Magnets… are… too!"

"Two what?" he asked. "Too awesomest?"

"They is brilliantastic!" I exclaimed again. "I can't believe why we didn't think of this before. Cheers!" I raised my hand to give him a high four, but proceeded to slap him in the face accidentally. "Whoopsee-daisy, there I go," I giggled.

He stumbled back a bit, then chuckled. "S'ok. We all make m'stakes."

This went on for who knows how long, with 9 and me making random comments from the magnet-induced stupor. I was beginning to see why 8 had relied on his magnet so much. It brought you to another world, and left all your cares behind. Anything bad just passed over you when you had that small, metal horseshoe.

At some point, while 9 was singing something that sounded a little like the Alphabet, but way off-tune and gibberish instead of words, the twins ran in.

9 cut himself off when he saw them. He waved, but staggered a bit. "Hey, twinnies." I suddenly bent forward in laughter, for no apparent reason. 9 joined in with me, and we both cackled until the twins came up and ripped the magnet out of my hand.

"Hey!" I snarled, some of my old attitude coming back. "Give it back! I don't want to come back to the real world."

_I'm sorry, 7, but you don't know what this is doing to your brain, _3 held the magnet just out of my reach. _I know it's tempting, but it could have long term effects._

"I'm going to die tomorrow," I bitterly snapped. "So thank _you _very much for ruining my second-last day."

_Don't say that! _4 cried. _You're not going to die, we'll find a cure! _

"Well, if anyone's found a cure, please speak up now," I looked around the room. The twins avoided my gaze. "Didn't think so."

_We're sorry, _3 repeated. _Most of the books we have are about affairs of the body, not affairs of the soul. From what we've read, souls can't be mended. The only book that really talks about it was the _Annuls of Peracelsus, _but it's all in Latin. We're learning as fast as we can, but we can't do it all in a week. Plus, we want to spend time with you. _4 nodded in agreement.

This made perfect sense to me, and I couldn't help but smile as they ran in and hugged onto me. The effects of the magnet were fading, and I was beginning to see some of the virtues of my real life again.

9, who was also returning to the real world, chuckled a bit more normally. "Hey, don't I get a hug?"

The twins released me and grabbed onto him. He looked over at me. "I was talking to her."

I laughed a little, as I rarely did, and wrapped an arm around 9's shoulders. 3 hugged onto 9, and 4 hugged onto me, and for one shining moment, I felt like I had a true family again. No, it wasn't some sappy romance with 9, we didn't have to be seen as a couple, but I felt truly free with those other three around me.

And then, it was over. The twins released us, then backed off. 3 flashed something to 4, and she broke into a huge smile. Somehow, from that instant on, I knew they were going to somehow find a way to embarrass me but getting me to do something silly to and/or with 9. _We have another suggestion, _3 flashed our way. _Do you want to hear it? _

"No." I stated.

_You should learn how to waltz! _4 exclaimed happily.

"Dancing?" I asked. "No way. This isn't a dancer's body. I was built for fighting, guys."

_But it would be a great experience, _3 nodded his head. _Better than that magnet. It'll only take an hour or so. We'll give you the crash course. It's still just about noon. We have the entire evening to dance the night away._

4 looked eagerly up at me, her hands clasped tightly. _Please, 7? _

I sighed. Man, those twins knew how to change my mind. "Fine."

_Yay! _4 cheered. _Come on in the globe in about five minutes. _

When they rushed off, 9 and I exchanged glances. "Dancing?" he asked. "Somehow I know this is not going to end well. For me, at least. I mean, you're graceful. You can fly! And I'm stuck with two left feet."

"You'll be fine," I dismissed, avoiding his gaze. "I don't know why the twins support this… this thing. I mean, we don't need other people to decide our feelings for us, do we?"

"Dancing doesn't always have to be romantic," 9 said. "We can go into this just to enjoy the dance. It's a great piece of human history, and I'm sure it will be fun all the same."

"I hope the twins know what they're doing," I shook my head, smiling. "I'll look like such an idiot if they can't teach it right."

"They're smart enough to figure it out," 9 assured me.

_You can come in now,_4 instructed, poking her head out of the globe.

9 and I exchanged glances, but I couldn't help but chuckle. I was sure that this dance was going to be pure torture, but man would it be _fun_! I grabbed 9 by his hand and led him to the globe, ignoring the burn that flew to my cheeks.

The twins pulled out a gramophone from somewhere deep behind their shelves. _We've had it here forever, _3 said. _That's how we knew how to work it. _4 selected a record and carefully laid it out with her brother on top.

_Ok, 9, since you're male, you'll be leading,_ 3 instructed. _Face 7, then put your right hand on her waist, just a bit around the back.  
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>9's gentle hand on my waist sent a tingle up my spine, but I forced myself to remain motionless.<p>

4 continued, _Now, extend your left hand to your side with your elbow bent and your palm raised, facing her. Take her hand in a loose grip.  
><em>  
><em>7, you should have your other hand on his shoulder,<em> 3 reminded me. _With the elbow bent a bit._

Now, 9 and I were close. Very close together. I looked up into his eyes. He shrugged. "It's now or never."

_On the first beat, step forward with your left foot,_ 3 told 9. _And 7, you mirror his movements. This means you bring you right foot back.  
><em>  
>We did as he told us, taking the first steps of the dance.<br>_  
>Now 9, step forward with you right foot to the right,<em> 4 advised. _7, mirror him._ _And try to make an upside-down letter L with your foot. Like, bring it forward, then out._

I followed their instructions, moving my left foot back to mirror 9's.

_Now, move your weight to your right foot, 9, but keep your left foot still._  
><em><br>And on the third beat, slide your left foot over to meet your right._

After my feet met, I looked at the twins. "Was the weight shifting not a beat?"  
><em><br>No, you just have to do it between, and we're not done yet,_ 4 flashed.  
><em><br>9, on the fourth beat, step back with your right foot,_ 3 advised.  
><em><br>On the fifth beat, step back to the left with your left foot,_ 4 commanded. _And make the L again._

Then, on the last beat, slide your feet together, then start again,

3 finished.  
><em><br>It helps to count as you go,_ 4 insisted. _One, two, three, one, two, three, with accent on the one.  
><em>  
>9 and I began to repeat the dance, the twins flashing out dance steps. For me, it became a chant in my head. <em>Right foot back, left foot back to the left, shift, together, left foot forward, right foot forward to the right, shift, together.<em>

The twins laid the needle down on the record, and began to turn it. A crackly tune that sounded like it was being played out of an accordion flooded through the library. It was quite slow, and 9 and I danced to it, gaining confidence with each repeat.

I'd been focusing so much on my feet that I'd barely noticed 9. His chest was millimeters away from mine, but I didn't really care. It was the dancing, I think, that led me to feel so fine so close to him.

Once my feet were moving naturally to the beat, I looked up at 9. He was still deep in thought, working out every movement before stepping. He was being careful not to get our legs tangled up, for we both knew that the twins would get a kick out of that.

I looked at him, taking in every detail of his burlap face. He was so determined that he'd find a way to save me, even I'd begun to become sure that he would. I certainly hoped for it. After what he'd said last night, I felt so sure that I loved him, more sure than anything. I moved the littlest bit closer, so that the pulley of his zipper just barely brushed my chest. He didn't seem to notice.

However, he was becoming more confident with the steps, and was beginning to sneak glances at me between them. I stopped staring at him and continued to dance, turning my attention back to my feet.

I barely noticed him lean in, and he began to whisper things into my ear. It started out with things like, "I can't believe I haven't tripped yet," or, "This is fun," but his words began to change. "You are like a swan, graceful and elegant." "I wish this moment would never end."

He then slowly and evenly brought his head back so he was looking directly at me. He let his optics barely brush mine, then rested his forehead against my forehead.

He looked into my eyes. I could feel the heat, emanating off of him. I liked him being in such close proximity. I slowly let my eyes close.

I felt him breathe in deeply, then he tilted his head down and pressed his lips to mine.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but in that short time, by world changed. My stomach clenched and fluttered, but I ignored it and focused on the warmth of 9's lips, how right it felt to have them pressed against mine.

When he pulled away, I opened my eyes and looked questionably at him. As if to ask, _Why'd you stop? I was enjoying that.  
><em>  
>He seemed to get my silent message, for he released my hand and brought his hand up to gently stroke my cheek. He cupped my head with one hand and moved in again. With my free hand, I hugged myself closer, pushing my lips onto his. I kissed him again, only drawing back for a moment to breathe before returning to his lips. I kissed him for who knows how long before we realized that the music had stopped. We both opened our eyes and slowly turned our heads to find the twins, looking very shocked. It was clear that they'd never seen anyone kiss before.<p>

I smiled a bit, taking 9's hand in mine. "I know a place where we can be alone," I whispered to him seductively, before pulling him off by the arm.

As I lead him on, I wasn't even sure if he knew what he was doing when he'd kissed me. I didn't care, because now, I knew that I loved him.

I dragged him outside, where it was already getting dark. No matter. As long as I had him, I'd be fine. I led him up a hill covered with dead grass, then stopped at the top. The sky was a deep red, like blood around the horizon, but blue-black everywhere else.

I turned to 9. The red was reflecting off his eyes, making them glow red as well. "9," I began. He turned his gaze to me. "I… I didn't really realize it until now, but I think that I really love you."

Even though he'd been silent since we left the twins, 9 broke into a smile. "I love you, too, 7. I love you so much, and I've loved you so long, oh, I just—" Before he could stop himself, he was kissing me again.

It still held all the thrill of the first kiss. I rubbed my hand down his back, pressing his chest into mine. I tilted my head slightly, so our mouths met at a perpendicular angle. Unconsciously, I guided the two of us down so we were lying on the cool night ground. Even though the warmth from the sun was long gone, all I needed was 9's heat.

I wasn't fully aware of anything that I was doing, and I hardly felt my hand tugging on the tab of his zipper. However, I savored each click of the zipper undoing. Somehow I doubted I'd ever get a chance to do this again.

I recoiled a bit when one of his hands found its way to the fastener on my front. I wasn't used to letting people this close to me, but I reminded myself just how much I loved 9, and let him undo me.

I ran my hands along his insides, feeling all the cool metal. He shivered a bit as my hands stroked and caressed his circuitry. I wondered briefly if this is what it had been like for him while he was taking that Orb out…

However, from his chest burst forth a foggy green cloud. I removed my mouth from his long enough to gasp. He put a finger to my lips. "It's all part of life," he whispered, and then guided my face back to his.

If I'd been paying more attention, I would've noticed my soul leaping out of my chest, running up against 9's, causing waves of heat to wash over me.

Our souls ebbed and flowed around the other's, melding and overlapping occasionally. Whenever they crossed, I would let out a small moan, partly from the intense heat, partly from the sheer pleasure. At one point, they crossed completely and stayed locked in that position, overlapping. 9 and I had no control, and in one rush, the souls sort of snapped, then each soul returned to their corresponding bodies.

I rolled onto my back, now lying next to 9. The sky was nearly cleared, and I could see a billion stars, glistening like crystals in the sky. I wouldn't mind if I died now. As long as 9 and I had shared this one night, I was pleased.

The moon was nearly gone now; only a sliver remained. How odd was the thought that the moon had been full when the others were still alive.

"9," I whispered. "I love you. I want you to remember that always."

"Tonight was… amazing," he grinned. "I feel that you've made me complete, 7."

I chuckled. "You know, I've always wanted to do that."

"Me too."

"… The twins were sweet, getting us to dance."

"Yeah."

I propped myself up a bit. "I know you'll probably never think of them as your kids, but… y'know, imagining that I somehow make it out of this alive… would you ever be interested in… in becoming a parent?"

He sat up a bit, too. "What?" he asked. "Did you just ask what I think you asked?"

I flopped back onto the ground. "Yeah. What do you think?"

He lay back next to me. "I suppose… I mean, I've always sort of wondered what it would be like to be a father, but I… there was never even the possibility before."

"Well now that we're… there could be…"

9 changed the subject, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "You see those stars? They make the _Ursa Major_, or the Great Bear. And that one over there is _Orion_, and _Cassiopeia's Chair…"_

I was tempted to ask where he'd learned all this, but I felt too tired, and I lay back in his arms. He continued to talk quietly about the stars, but drowsiness descended on me. Using his chest as a pillow, I curled p next to him. He kept an arm around my shoulders, which made me feel safe.

His soft voice was soothing, and his warmth attracted me like a magnet. I sighed. "We still have tomorrow, 9. We still have tomorrow."


	8. Final

**A/N: Whoa! I can't believe I'm already here at Day 7... I won't put off your reading for much longer, just have to say I don't own the two songs, and don't forget to review!  
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><p><em><strong>Chapter 8 – Final<strong>_

I slowly opened my eyes. I was curled up in the crook of 9's arm, sprawled out on a hill in the middle of nowhere. _Now, how exactly did I get here?_

Slowly the events of the previous night returned to me. An intense blush leapt to my face as I remembered my open chest, and self-consciously reconnected the fastener. I slid out of 9's grasp and sat up a small distance away from him.

The sun had risen just above the horizon now, and it was hard for me to believe that it might be the last sunrise I'd ever see. I hoped that 9 had discovered a cure, for the night before, when I saw my soul, it seemed dimmer than 9's. This worried me, and I finally began to realize that I was dying.

As 9 began to stir, I felt the urge to go limp again, but I forced myself to remain sitting up. He slowly sat up, rubbing his head. "Oh… man," he muttered, stretching out a bit. "Mornin', 7."

I nodded to him, but shivered as a cool wind blew across the hill. I hugged my knees to my chest and cuddled closer to 9. However, I continued to shake, more intensely now. I set my jaw to try to stop jittering, but it was no use.

9 noticed my discomfort. "Hey, hey… are you all right?"

I forced a small smile. "Peachy."

However, 9 saw through my charade and hugged me closer, trying to share some of him heat with me. I curled up, struggling to conserve body heat. It was no use, another wave of chills washed over me.

9 brought a hand to my forehead. His metal fingers sent another chill down my spine. A look of worry was visible on his face. "You're burning up," he fretted. "We should get you back to the Library."

I tried to stand, but my head protested, giving a series of thumps that forced me back to the ground. "I c-c-can't do it-t-t," I whispered, stuttering with each shiver. 9 scooped me up, holding me close to his chest, one arm under my knees, the other under my shoulder. I felt sort of queasy, but I clenched my jaw and tried my best to stop trembling. However, I shook even harder when I realized that this might be connected to my soul.

"9…" I whispered. "Am I going to die?"

He was running now, but still trying to be careful not to jar me too much. He looked down at me and chuckled nervously. "Of course not." He looked more serious now. "I'm sure the twins have found a cure. And whatever happens, just remember, I'll save you. No matter what."

This gave me a bit of comfort, and I closed my eyes. 9 was right, he wouldn't let me die. Even though my eyes were shut, odd green flashes of light were visible. They swirled and danced, forming misty shapes, rotating in a circular motion. The lights were calming, and for a moment my breathing returned to normal and the quaking stopped.

But, that moment shattered as 9 tripped and fell, dropping me on his way down. My eyes popped open, the strange colors faded, and the quivering continued.

9 stumbled up, getting back on his feet. He lifted me again, extremely worried this time. "Oh, 7, I just…" He didn't even finish his thought before running on again.

Throughout the journey, I continued to wonder why we had wandered so far from the safety of the Library. Usually, that thought would be the last one in my head, but I couldn't help but think of it as 9 struggled to get us back to our home.

After what felt like an eternity of running, shivering,and reassurances, we finally reached the Library. I felt faint now, but 9 made it very clear that I couldn't waste any time asleep. He set me down on the bed, and I snuggled under the covers, trying to stop the quivering. 9 left (I suppose he went to find the twins) as soon as he was sure I was settled. I couldn't stop shuddering, and it wasn't normal. I mean, I'd been chilled before and had shook for a while. But this trembling was fast and unstoppable. Each time my mechanical heart beat, I'd shiver even harder.

After a while, the quaking began to subside. My mind was still clouded by feverish thoughts, but I was able to think straight enough to remember the list. I was tempted to pull it out, but I knew that I only had one or two things left, and I knew what those were.

I stretched over to the pile of random clutter in the corner and grasped around blindly until my had closed on a piece of paper. I pulled it back, and retrieved the ink and quill that I had under my bed. Since pens were to large for us to write with, the twins had found a feather and added a cap to the end, and it now served as my main writing utensil. I dipped it in ink and began to write,

_Dear 3, 4, and 9,_

_I guess this is goodbye. I can hardly believe that I'm never going to see you again, but I guess that it's true. Remember me always. And I'll never forget you._

_3, since you're the eldest here, I'm entrusting you with my shield. Use it to keep your sister safe, all right? She needs someone to look after her, even if she doesn't think so._

_4, I'm going to let you have my skullmet. Your unbridled love of nature has always been something I envied, and now, you can be the bird. Fly on, little one. And thanks for pushing me towards 9. It's a bit late now, but you tried._

_9, I'm not quite sure what to give you. I didn't realize it until yesterday, but I've loved you forever. And I'll keep on loving you. I want you to take my spear, and keep the twins safe. You'll be in charge, and I'm sure you'll do just fine. _

_If I had the option for just one more day, I'd spend it with you, 9. I wish that we could have a day where we could be in love, but it's too late now. I kept putting it off, and now, I have to pay the price. _

_Now, I don't want any of you to cry about this. I'm not upset that I'm dying, or anything like that. It's fine, really. But, if you waste your lives mourning over me, I will be upset. You all still have such great potential to do great things. So go out there, and seize the day. Every day. _

_And 9, do not blame yourself. Anyone would have made that mistake, and I know how much you tried to make everything right again. I don't blame you; I'll never blame you, and I think this is because I love you. I want you to do one thing, though. Keep the twins in line. Bring them up right. Teach them to see the beauty in life. And don't you dare say you can't do it. In a week, you taught me more than I could've learned in my entire life. You taught me how to be myself, how to loosen up, and how to love. _

_I never really understood life before, but now that it's over, I have to say that now, I realize there's so much more I could've done. I could've crossed the world, I could've learned so much more, I could've raised a family! But, I didn't realize that until yesterday, and now, it's too late. I'm sorry. _

_I'm so very tired, but happy. Even though there were still a million things I could've done, I'm pleased with what I have completed. I want you three to go out and do everything that I didn't have the chance to. Live your lives well._

_Love,_

_7__  
><em>  
>I quickly jammed the paper under the sheets as I heard a clatter from outside. "What do you mean, <em>'there's no cure'<em>?" I heard 9 demand. "I promised her that I wouldn't let her die. I promised!" I could tell from his voice that he was nearly in tears. "I… I just _can't_ let her die…" There was a pause (I suspected the twins were saying something to him) then he continued, "I don't care! I'll rip my own soul out and give it to her! I… I'd do anything! I mean, I'd pull the moon down from the sky! I'd find another human who'd give their soul to her! I just… just…" he trailed off, too quiet for me to hear what he said.

_No cure?_ I wondered. _Maybe I am going to die… I never thought… but 9 seems so sure he'll save me… maybe, just maybe…_

My thoughts were disrupted as 9 slowly entered. "Hey…" he quietly said.

"Hey," I managed a small smile.

He came over and sat down on the edge of my bed. "I heard what you were saying to the twins… about there being no cure…"

Without warning, he started to cry. "Oh, 9, don't cry," I hoarsely whispered.

"I just don't want to admit that this is goodbye," he sobbed.

"It's not goodbye," I assured him. "Just more of a see you soon."

9 was still in tears. I chuckled weakly, which led to me coughing. "Anyone else would think that you were the one dying. You have to be strong, 9. Take good care of the twins."

He was still crying, his body heaving with the sobs. He placed his head in his hands. I shakily brought one of my hands up to his shoulder, which made him raise his head.

"This is life," I told him. "We all have to go sometime. And if you waste your time crying, your time to go will come sooner. My life was cut short, but you still have all the time in the world to complete whatever you want. So, go out. Live your life."

"I… I-I can't," he cried. "Not without you."

I didn't have enough awareness to feel my stomach clench. "I'm sure you'll be just fine on your own." I lay back, closing my eyes half way, and crossed my arms over my chest. "Y'know, I was always afraid of dying. But now, I realize, that even if I'm not alive, I'll still be with you." I placed a hand on his chest, over his heart. "Right here."

His face scrunched up, and he burst into tears again.

"Think of it this way," I told him. "You believe that the sun will rise every morning, right?" He just barely nodded. "Well, whenever you see the sun, think of me. As I die, I'm not sinking down, forever trapped and unable to complete anything, I'm free, as free as a bird, soaring through the sky on the wind. When you see the sun rise, when you hear the wind whistling through the trees, when the rain patters on the roof, remember. I'll be there with you, just like I always was."

"You'd… you'd be with me more if I hadn't… _killed_ you in the first place!" he wailed. "It all my fault, all my fault… I already killed the others, and now I killed _you_!"

"9, don't say that," I commanded. "It wasn't your fault. Do not blame yourself. Ever."

"I felt like such a fail when I killed the others," he whimpered. "But loosing you would be a thousand times worse!"

"Oh, 9…" I slowly shook my head. "You are not a fail. You are the best thing in my life; I love you, and I'll love you forever."

This stopped 9's crying, and he sat up a bit more. "9…" I murmured. "Talk."

"What?" he asked, raising his head.

"Just talk," I ordered. My tone went gentler as I continued. "Talk about anything. Something you saw in the emptiness. A good time with the twins. Future plans. Anything!"

9 thought for a moment. "Just after I first woke up, I thought I was all alone in the world. I had no idea where I was, what I did, who I am, anything. I saw the Talisman, and that was before I even really knew what it was. All I knew was that it was important, so I picked it up…"

Even the sound of his voice felt comforting. He softly chuckled occasionally at his own faults, problems, and everything he did.

At the end of his short tale (which was mainly of how he met 2, stopping at the part when the Cat Beast appeared) he sighed. "2 was the first other person I met. I wasn't sure if there were more of us, or anything, so when I stumbled around, it was just a lucky coincidence that 5 found me." He looked up at me. "So? It's your turn, now. Share something!"

"Well, my life was pretty boring," I shrugged. "I fought for survival each day. I had to be the risk taker, always running ahead, scouting out new hideouts, doing anything that the others were too afraid to do. I didn't know how to enjoy life. However, I did know how to hate. I hated 1. He was a selfish, small-minded, cruel idiot that would do anything to come out on top. At one point, I just couldn't stand living in the same building as him. It made me feel so… trapped. So, I left."

"How were your relationship statuses with the others?" 9 prompted. "Did you ever have feelings for any of them?"

"Well, the twins used to tease me, saying I had a crush on 1," I admitted. "But that's just a load of bologna. Like I said, I hated him. He made me feel uncomfortable, and imprisoned.

"2 was always like a father to me; he'd always be there to comfort me whenever 1 yelled or punished me.

"You know the twins. They're probably my best friends in the world. I told them everything, and they listened.

"5… he was my brother. We were so close, I'd tell him everything, and he'd be there for me. It was him who stitched up my back. With the help of 2, of course.

"6 was what I like to call my 'little buddy'. He looked up to every one of us, and I think he was jealous of our sanity. However, his craziness made him sweet, and whenever he didn't understand something, or was scared by one of his visions, he'd turn to 5 or me, or sometimes 2. He used to come into my room in the middle of the night, in need of comfort, and I'd hug him until he stopped crying or screaming.

"8 and I were just acquaintances. We never had the chance to be friends, and I didn't like the way he bossed 5 and 6 around, but I didn't really dislike him, either." Suddenly, something occurred to me. "Why are you asking me all this?"

"I want to know more about you," he simply stated. "'Cause if you're really going to die, I want to remember you for who you are."

"I could've seen this world change," I absently stated. "The plants could've grown back, animals would return, humans would thrive again. These ruins would be returned to their previous glory. It would be a new world, but I'll never get to see all that." I turned my gaze back to 9. "If you see it, think of me."

"7, don't say that," he grabbed one of my hands and pressed it to his cheek. "You'll be there, I'm sure. I know I'll find a way."

"What if you decide that you don't want me in your life?" I asked. "I know it's hard to believe, but sometimes when you think you have feelings, it might be just a thought. Are you sure you love me?"

"Absolutely," he said in a heartbeat. "I've loved you since I first saw you, and I wouldn't be able to loose you. Ever."

This touched me, and brought another small smile to my face. "Oh, 9…" I whispered. "I… I don't know what to say."

He brought the hand that he'd been holding to his cheek up to his lips. "Then don't speak. Rest."

He stood up, and exited my room. I opened my mouth to say something, but no sound came out. Instead, a small cloud of glowing green fog floated from my mouth. My left leg went numb, and refused to move. Fear began to close in to me. _Was that my soul? _I asked myself as the green fog dissipated into the air.

I'd lost control of one limb. What was next? I felt the urge to cry out to 9, but I feared that if I opened my mouth again, more soul would leak out.

I heard 9 speaking quietly to the twins, and after a moment, they rushed in. I waved to them, and they curled up on either side of me in the bed. _How are you feeling? _3 asked.

I was still afraid that if I opened my mouth, I'd loose my soul again, so I didn't respond.

4 seemed to notice my discomfort. _Hey… is something wrong? _

I knew if I told the twins, they'd only worry, so I took a chance and opened my mouth. "No, of course not."

3 suddenly looked very sad. _Oh, 7 we failed you! We couldn't find anything about how to save you! We're… so… sorry! _He and his twin both burst into silent tears.

"It's not your fault, either," I assured them. "If there's no information out there, you can't help it. I know you two tried very hard, and I just like to say thanks." I hugged both tearful stitchpunks to my chest.

4, whose tears were receding, pointed out, _9 helped us a lot, too. _

I raised my eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

_He was up late every night, studying with us, _3 explained. _He was so determined to find a way to save you. He'd be there, going through every book, trying to find something–anything–to help you. He'd work to exhaustion, and would usually fall asleep on top of a book. I don't think I've ever seen someone so dedicated…_

"Well, that's 9 for you," I smiled a bit. "He's not afraid to take a stand. Remember, he risked his life going into the Factory to save me. I think he'd do it again."

_You're lucky to have someone so committed, _4 told me. _I swear, he'd do anything for you. _

I sighed. "I know. I think that in the end, that's what's going to do him in. You know me, always in some kind of trouble."

_And he's always there, _3 smiled. _He's great._

At that moment, 9 walked in again. He still looked bummed out from crying, but I could tell he was trying to hide it from the twins. "Sorry about… earlier," he said, more to the twins than me. "I shouldn't have yelled. You guys have already done so much."

They hugged him a bit, and I had time to reflect momentarily before pain began to build in my chest. It spread out to the edges of my frame, and a more vibrant cloud of green fog came out of my mouth. Now, both legs were numb and felt like lead weights.

The twins and 9 stared fearfully at me, eyes bulging, mouths gaping. "What was… that?" 9 breathlessly asked.

_Her soul… _3 slowly flashed. _That was a piece of her soul._

I could tell that 9 was becoming extremely worried now. "Oh… oh, god… it can't be… It's not…"

"Hey, don't worry," I weakly brought one hand to his cheek and rubbed it. "It's ok, 9. Remember what I told you before. I still have some time left," I placed a hand on 9's shoulder. "I'm dying," I told him. "And nothing that we know of can change that. I know, it's hard for me, too, but I don't want to spend my last day watching you cry."

He sniffed. "Ok. Whatever you want us to do, just tell us."

"Sing," I slowly said. "I want you to sing."

"W-what?" 9 stuttered. "Did you say sing?"

I nodded.

"Sorry, you see, I don't sing, I couldn't, I'm no good…" he trailed off as he saw my pleading expression. "Oh, fine. I'll sing. What do you want to hear?"

"Anything," I closed my eyes and lay back. "I want to hear you sing."

He looked for the twins for help, but they just shrugged and waddled off. He cleared his throat and quietly sang, "_She's like the swallow that flies so high. _

_She's like the river that never runs dry. _

_She's like the sunshine on the far shore. _

_I love my love, but love is no more. _

_And out of black roses she made a bed. _

_A stony pillow for her head. _

_She laid her down, no words she spoke. _

_Until this fair maid's heart was broke_."

Of course, 9 _was _a wonderful singer. His voice was sweet and melodious, not at all awkward like his personality. "Where'd you get the song?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I think I read it somewhere once."

"Could you sing another?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"… Fine."

He closed his eyes for a moment, before continuing, "_Oh won't you come with me where the Wood River flows  
>We'll watch it meander slowly as the sky turns from red to dark<br>And as that sun goes down, we'll throw our arms around  
>Each other and tell the dreams that are deep in the heart<em>

'Cause the heart is bigger than trouble  
>And the heart is bigger than doubt<br>But the heart sometimes needs a little help  
>To figure that out."<p>

"That one was… nice," I whispered. "Could you do another?"

"Sure."

For the afternoon, this continued. I wasn't sure how 9 had learned so many songs in his short lifespan, but somehow he never seemed to be at a loss for melodies. He admitted to me after that he wasn't even sure where he got most of the songs. Once the sun was long-gone from the horizon, he stopped, and the twins returned.

Since they had no voices to share (if they did, I'm sure they'd be wonderful singers) they flashed me poetry. Halfway through a poem, I lost control of both arms, and I knew that I'd soon be gone for good.

9 was tearing up again. He rubbed my cheek. "It's gonna be alright, it'll be fine…"

"I'm not afraid, 9," I assured him. "We both knew this was coming. Don't worry."

"Isn't there anything I can do?" he asked.

"Stay with me."

The twins made their way out, looking solemn. 9 now held one of my limp hands in both of his. He was quietly crying, but trying his best to remain normal.

"You just can't stop living," he told me, stroking my hand. "Keep going. I know you're strong enough."

"9…" I whispered, becoming short for breath. "I will, I just won't be able to bring you with me. I'll travel the stars, see new worlds. And I'll think about you the entire time. You taught me how to live, and I'll never be able to thank you enough."

I could feel my heart slowing. 9 smiled through his tears. "That's right, you just keep on traveling, and be free. For real. Don't let anything as foolish as me hold you down ever again."

"I won't," I assured him. He brought his hand up and rubbed my cheek. "But you have to be free, too. Take the twins with you. Travel the land. Bring the thought of me with you."

"Anything you say," he cried. "I'll remember you always, and love you, and cherish every memory and thought about you, but I won't let that hold me down. I swear."

I managed a smile. "That's more like the 9 I know." He was shaking now, but I didn't really care. "I have something for you, under the bed," I told him. "Go get it."

He bent down, still holding one of my hands, probably fearing that if he let it go, I'd die without him. He pulled out the letter, which I'd folded and labeled _3, 4 & 9_. "Read it when I'm gone."

Saying this brought another wave of tears to him. He sat back down on the bed beside me, now gently stroking my cheek. "I'll never admit it to myself…" he managed through tears. "I'll say you're just sleeping."

"And I will be," I told him. I now didn't even have the strength to keep my head up. I lay back, closed my mouth, but kept my eyes trained on 9.

He slowly began to sing, "_She's like the swallow that flies so high, _

_She's like the river that never runs dry. _

_She's like the sunshine on the far shore. _

_I love my love and love is no more."_

His voice cracked as he sang the word _more_, and his tears returned again. I blinked at him slowly. Even the movement of my optics hurt now. I whispered, "Goodbye, 9." I let my eyes close, and this time, they didn't open.


	9. Seven

**A/N: I've been waiting so long to write this! Well, enjoy!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 9 – Seven<strong>_

I couldn't bear it as 7's eyes slowly slid shut. I shakily reached down and propped her up so her head was nestled against my chest, and bit back tears as we slowly rocked back and forth. She couldn't be dead, she _couldn't_ be…

I quietly repeated the last line, "I love my love, and love is… no more." I lay her down again, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Be free now, 7. Be free." I watched and nearly cried out as the last bit of her soul floated out of her mouth and evaporated into the air.

Choking back tears, I pressed her head to my chest again. "You had so much more to accomplish," I cried. "Why did you have to die?" But, her body remained limp, and I gently set her down again.

The twins stood in the doorway. I didn't have to turn around to see them; I just knew they were there. There was a sort of electricity in the air; you could feel the intense saddening vibe just by standing here.

I finally dropped her hand and brought up the sheet of paper she'd given me. It was a letter, for the twins and me. I didn't feel right reading it over her body, so I stood.

Sure enough, the twins were waiting just beyond the threshold, 4 clutching her brother's shoulder.

_Is she… is she gone?_3 asked. All I could do was nod. I was afraid that if I spoke, my voice would sabotage me and I'd break into tears.

After some silent contemplation, I held up the note and risked, "She left us this." My voice cracked, but I managed to hold back the tears.

The twins brought me into the globe (7 was still in my room) and we sat down on the edge of a book to read it. I'd left the light staff in my room, so we read by candlelight.

Both the twins were reduced to silent tears after reading her letter. _I can't believe she'd want me to have her skullmet!_ 4 flashed, placing her head in her hands. _It meant so much to her, I don't know how I'd ever wear it…_

_And her shield!_ 3 exclaimed. _5 gave it to her. But she gave it… to me!_

They both collapsed onto each other and sobbed. I gently rubbed 4's back, trying to calm her a little. However, I was very close to joining her.

Just as I was sure sadness was going to collapse on me, another emotion crashed down. "Why… why did I do that?" I yelled, kicking back with one foot. "Why did I kill her? Why? She deserved to live more than me, but I killed her! I _killed_ her!" I cried tears of frustration now. "All I do is screw things up! And are there consequences? Oh, of _course_! And those consequences always seem to have something to do with one of us dying! Oh, wow. That's so great. I think it's a gift when everything you do ends up _taking the life of a friend_. This is all my fault… I should die…"

3, who'd stopped crying to watch my angry rant, now spoke up, _Didn't 7 tell you not to blame yourself?  
><em>  
>"I know what she said!" I screamed, making him cower down a little. "She's just being the typical, nice, amazingly comforting 7 that we all miss already, but I know that I did this. I can't just let her death pass over me! And no one — not even you two — knows what it's like to loose someone like 7! Someone so smart, strong, beautiful, courageous, swift, daring, so <em>perfectly amazing<em> that she was an angel? I… I didn't know what to expect! I mean, people throw the word death around so easily these days." In a random imitation of someone who I wasn't sure of, I stated, "Oh, I would just _die_ for a milkshake. It's stupid! I mean, they don't— they don't realize that… that people… _totally _normal people like me are loosing the most lovely creation in all of time and space just because I made the stupidest mistake of the century!" The entire statement had been building with a hysterical rage, and I was screaming loud enough for the world to hear now.

"And it's not fair!" I continued. "Not for me, not for 7! She had so much more to do, and I just…" I imitated snatching something off an invisible table. "Swiped it away from her!"

_9, calm down,_ 4 raised her hands, almost as if she was trying to protect herself. _You're overreacting…  
><em>  
>"Me? I'm not overreacting!" I bent down so I was staring the both of them in the face. I smiled wildly, and one eye twitched. "I just killed 7!"<p>

I sprung up and ran over to the wall. Both 3 and 4 had been freaked out by my random exclamations, and I could tell they were both considering labeling me as crazy beyond repair. However, anger and insanity were only the first two emotions on my long '_you just lost your best friend_' list.

I leaned up against the wall, my forehead pressing into wood. No one dared break the silence. I might have been standing there for five minutes, I might have been standing there for five hours. I brought both hands up so they lay flat on the wood, then started banging my head against the wall. "Killing people is _bad_," I growled, smashing my face into the wall as I said the word _bad_. "Killing people is _bad_. Killing people is _bad_. Killing people is—"

_Stop!_ 4 exclaimed. She and her brother struggled to push me away from the wall. I fought back at first, then collapsed in a limp pile, facedown to the floor. They rolled me over and I moaned. "Please, let me die."  
><em><br>9, this is exactly what 7 said not to do,_ 3 snapped. _If she were here, she'd be ashamed. She wanted us to be happy, ok? H-A-P-P-Y, like we were before.  
><em>  
>"But it won't be like before…" I whispered, rolling to my side and hugging my knees to my chest. "She used to be there for me. I probably wouldn't have made it out of the Factory if it weren't for her. I wish she had left me behind, though…"<br>_  
>Snap out of it!<em> 4 cried. _You're getting yourself into a serious funk. She wants us to get back to normal. Not roll on the floor in cry-baby self pity.  
><em>  
>"What?" I whined. "I'm the youngest here. Only a <em>month<em>. For humans, that's still a baby! But no one treats me like it. They just expect me to know. Like, _hey look, a new guy. Let's go see if he'll put the Talisman in the evil Machine, waking it and killing us all_. I wanted to learn, but my curiosity was too dangerous. I'm still a baby, you guys. I know it doesn't seem like it, and I do know some things from the piece of soul the Scientist gave me, but I can't figure everything out on my own. How old are you guys, anyway?"

They exchanged glances, almost like they didn't want to tell me. 3 began, _Uh… we're…_

4 interrupted, _Please don't be mad!  
><em>  
>3 finished, <em>We're seventeen.<br>_  
>My jaw dropped open. "Seventeen? Seventeen years on this world? No wonder you two are geniuses! Seventeen years in this library?"<br>_  
>We spent the first few with 1 and 2,<em> 3 told me. _Just when the war was starting to get bad. We watched all the others come, stumbling around the world, amazed by everything's hugeness. And then, things changed. 1 seemed convinced he needed us locked away to be safe. And he despised our studying and organization. So, we left, and he supposed us dead._

"Seventeen years…" I repeated. "You're both… _seventeen_…" I looked up at them. "How old was 7?"

4 looked at her feet. _7 never told us her real creation day. She knew we didn't have the time to celebrate it, even though we did for most of the others.  
><em>  
>"You must have some idea, though," I cried. "Right?"<br>_  
>… She was about eleven, <em>3 finally told me.

"And I'm only a month…" I whispered again. "I killed six people in one month. If I live to be your age, imagine if I kept that up… I'll be killing seventy-two people a year, times that by your lifespan, we'd be angling on 1,224 people! In my life!"  
><em><br>You'll probably never kill anyone ever again,_ 3 assured me. _You're completely wrong there._

_However, your math is incredibly sound_, 4 stated. _You do know how to do some things._

"Yeah, but not the _important _things," I groaned, placing my head in my hands. "This is all just… so hard to take in. I'm sorry you two, but I need to be alone."

I stood and turned around, trudging out. I wanted to head out for a walk; that usually calmed me down. However, the wind howled ferociously, and it's mournful cries reminded me of 7. Still, I just _had _to get away. This whole place reminded me of 7 in some way. That pile of books over there had served as a stand for when she read the twins' favorite book. That open area was where she'd taught the twins to fight. The empty patch that had doubled as a dance floor when we'd waltzed…

I couldn't bear it! I stomped off, the Library silent except for the thumps of my footsteps. I wished that it was all a dream, a terrible, horrifying nightmare that I would wake up from. But, from the terrible sadness and pain that I felt, I knew all-too well that it was real.

It was still the middle of the night, and I didn't want to face the dark world all on my own. I needed my light staff, but what I dreaded was going to get it, for I'd left it in 7's room. I continued towards it, forcing my brain on other things. Like, _Oh, my. Did you ever realize how dark the Library gets at one in the morning? _

I still reached our room much too quickly. I took what was probably the deepest breath ever, then walked in. I couldn't help my eyes from falling straight onto 7. She was lying on her back; chin tipped slightly up, arms crossed over her stomach. The blanket only covered her waist down, and she looked almost like she was in a deep sleep.

I looked down, worried that I'd supply myself with false hope that she might still be alive. I walked slowly to where my light staff was propped on the wall. I could barely move one foot in front of the other. _Left foot, right foot, left foot, 7, right foot, 7, left foot, 7, 7, 7… _

I mentally slapped myself for becoming so easily distracted by 7 again. I lashed out and grabbed the light staff, then turned tail and fled the room. I leaned up against the wall, panting. It had taken more than a little willpower to keep myself from falling onto 7 and crying again. But I reminded myself, I was getting away.

I looked down at the light staff and felt even more depressed. 7 had made it for me. My heart felt like it was screaming; it was screaming at me, asking me why I would mess up the affairs of someone who was doing just fine on their own. I decided I needed to put this to rest, once and for all.

I trudged into the globe again, ignoring the worried looks from the twins. I grabbed an empty matchbox and looked around the globe, trying to see anything that reminded me of 7. I took the bottle of paintbrushes she'd used when she painted the dreary field and stuffed them in the box. Most of them had grey or white hand prints all over. She'd gotten some paint on her hands, and now they'd set into prints on the brushes.

I nearly broke into tears again, remembering how dainty her hands had been. And they'd fit so perfectly into mine…

I grabbed the magnet that we'd had such a good time with and jammed it in there, too. I folded up the goodbye letter and stuffed it in, as well. I stormed into our room, suddenly overtook by anger. Oddly, the anger was angled towards all the little things that reminded me of her. I was able to completely ignore her this time, since I was too focused on digging out everything of her's from under the bed.

Her quill, ink bottle, and _Last Days _list all joined the other items in the box. She'd kept a few other things under there, too. Things that she thought no one knew about. There was a picture of a sparrow (which I quickly shoved into the box) and a small blue gem-like stone. And there was a book–really, it was more of a bunch of papers tied together–that I found. I flipped through it. Each one had been torn out of a book, probably one of the twins'. I knew how much she disliked reading, and I was curious why she'd chosen these papers. However, as I read them, it became clear.

They all had comforting advice on them. _You are not alone… Help is on the way… I'll be there for you… You opened up my eyes… Every cloud has a silver lining… _These touched me again, but where sadness should have hit, I only found anger. I pushed them into the box, too.

I stood and removed all her little items from her body. The skullmet, her shield, her spear, even her little rope belt, they all went in the box.

It was now nearly full, and I sealed the top again. I lay it down on the floor, and with some of the ink from the bottle, I crossed out the brand name and wrote _memories _on top. I then lugged it to the door. The wind was a symphony of screams and moans. Litter and rubble blew around, making the world look like some hideous snow globe, filled with machines and dead bodies.

I trudged out, dragging the box along behind me, all the reminders shifting a bit with each step. I didn't care, I just had to get rid of them. The wind caused me to stumble numerous times, but every time, I'd just get up and continue walking.

It would be so... unceremonious just to use fabric from one of those big sack-things. I didn't know what they were called. I was _going to _ask 7, but then she _died. _It didn't feel right to use something so plain for the memorials of someone so perfect. Without even thinking, I ripped a scrap of fabric off of my right thigh. You could see right through to my metal skeleton, but I knew that 7 needed something special. I took out the quill again, and wrote 7 on the scrap before carefully placing it in the box.

I knew what I had to do. It just didn't feel right, leaving her just _dead. _I had to give her a proper ceremony, just as I had for the others. I don't really know what humans called them, but I always thought of them as final goodbyes. So, that's what I called them. _Derniers adieux. _It was French again, and I always found that I was better at other languages than I was at English.

But, for 7's _Dernier adieu, _there was no soul to release, and no last goodbye. She was gone, and there was no changing that.

Still, I gathered together some wood and found a few matches. I set up the little _X _with a few sticks, tying it together with twine. Since 7 was the only one, I set the rest of the wood I a circle around the base of the _X. _I hung the 7 fabric, and then, without even pausing, I placed the skullmet on top.

I struck a match, and after a few tries, lit the wood at the base. I watched in silence as the flames slowly licked up the fabric, engulfing the number 7. Looking up at the funnel of smoke rising up, I quietly stated, "_Au revoir,__mon cher__. __Je__ne vous oublierai jamais__._"I waited until all the smoke was gone, and the memorial was but a pile of ashes. The skullmet still remained intact, though, and I left it there.

I placed the memory box a little bit further away, and then paused. I examined my light staff for a moment, then propped it up against the box and walked away.

It hadn't been hard to let go of all my memories. Now, I just felt blank and meaningless. It was significantly better than being depressed and loathing every thought of yourself. I slowly stepped back towards the Library, not thinking. It was weird; usually, my brain wandered all over the place when I was doing something like _walking. _But now, placing one foot in front of the other was all that seemed to matter.

There was no creativity, no imagination left in the world. When I saw a broken-down car, I'd usually be thinking, _Wow! Look at that. I wonder what color it used to be before it rusted. Who owned this car? There might be bodies inside, but they scare me a lot. Maybe I'll make something with the bolts from the wheel for 7 and the twins. But how would I get it off? _But, today, there was nothing like that. Everything just looked the same, and everything looked boring. There was no sunshine, there was no happiness, and there was _definitely _no love.

At one point, it occurred to me that I had reached the Library and I was just standing around. I stepped in, just to get away from the wind. The twins ran up to me, flashing their worries at me. _Where were you? What happened to your leg? We were so worried! What happened to that box? Who took 7's skullmet? Was it you, 9? Why aren't you answering? _

I just continued to walk, pushing them gently aside. I didn't feel like talking. I didn't feel like anything. I went into my room and noticed that the twins had moved 7. I collapsed on the bed face-down, sinking into the soft mattress. I wanted it to be over; I wanted this all to be just a bad dream, and I'd wake up and find 7 beside me, alive and well again.

Because that's the thing! Over the past week, everything had been so perfect! She wanted to enjoy nature, there was a greenhouse full of it! She wanted to walk in the rain, it rained for her. She wanted to make me a light staff, she easily found the _exact _pieces she needed. Everything had been so _freakin' _perfect, except for her dying.

Things never worked out like this. There was something else going on here. I sat up, feeling a bit more like myself. That beast would never just attach an orb thing for fun. It had to have some purpose. And I might as well find that out.

With new strength, I stood, and marched into the globe. The twins were curled up under a blanket, staring at the flickering flame of a candle. "3, 4," I addressed them. "Did you ever figure out what that orb did?"

3 wordlessly shook his head. "Where is it, then?"

They exchanged glances, flickered something weakly to each other, then both raised shaky hands and pointed to their main cataloging book. In any other circumstances, I would have been worried about their reactions, but I was to busy walking over and searching for the orb.

It wasn't hard to find; it was balanced just beyond the book. It was tantalizing; it's smooth surface hid whatever dark secrets were contained inside. It was perfectly round, with no seams whatsoever. At one end, there were three wires, the three wires that had been jammed in beside 7's soul wire. One was red, one was blue, and one was black. I could see the copper filament inside, since I'd ripped them out, and the orb was completely powerless now.

Carefully, I ran my fingers along where the wires connected to the orb, pushing them aside, trying to look inside. I jammed my coppery fingers into it, not caring if I were to hurt it's circuitry. I pried at it for a moment, trying to open it, but it didn't seem to budge. Still, I continued to work at it, hoping that if I loosened it enough, it would open.

I gave one final jerk, with all my strength, and the orb split open just enough for me to see inside. It didn't open forcefully; it opened like it had been made to. Inside, I could hardly believe what I saw.

The orb was filled with foggy green light, swarming around a white core. Some of the mist swirled out, but was then pulled back in, almost as if some invisible force was holding it together like a magnet. I'd seen this light before, and I knew that I'd recognize it anywhere.

It was the light of a soul. 7's soul. But why was it in here? I was still to curious to be overjoyed. Oh, yes, the old me was back. I had to know; why would the orb collect her soul?

Of course, the Fabrication Machine lived off soul power. I supposed that maybe… no, that wouldn't work. 7 had told me there was a Bug Beast that had pinned her down and placed the orb in her. But she told me it was releasing her when she destroyed it. Why would it let her go if it still needed the orb?

Because it took a week for the soul to load into the orb! It all seemed so clear now… but why did it still work, even though we disconnected the orb? It was clearly made to work while connected, but maybe the Fabrication Machine knew that we'd try to take it out, and made it possible to work even when disconnected!

And then, after the stitchpunk was dead, and the orb was full of soul, the Bug would come back and retrieve it! But 7 had destroyed it… she told me, so there would be nothing coming for the orb! It would just hold all that raw soul energy, and act like the Talisman!

Perhaps if we stuck it in her chest, and reconnected the wires, the orb would open, and her soul would return to her body! It might not work, but I had to try.

I clamped the orb shut again, afraid that if I left it open, the soul would leak out. I ran out to the twins, ringing my hand with eagerness. "You two!" I cried, catching their attention. "The orb still has her soul! Maybe if we reconnect it, she can come back! Where is she?"

The twins just stared at me. _9, she's gone, _3 sighed silently. _You're just thinking what you want to think. I'm sorry, but that's how life works._

_It was a nice thought, though, _4 sadly shook her head. _That 7 might still have a chance of living. _

"SHE DOES!" I screamed, over excited and frustrated. "Just show me where her body is."

They pointed out the exit of the globe, over by where the fountain was. I ran out, orb still clutched tightly in my hands. Up on top of the overhanging area, 7 lay on a white leather book. Her hands were still crossed on her stomach, and they'd covered her partway with a white sheet. Small dried flowers had been arranged around her, and the water from the fountain gave everything a blueish tint.

I knelt down next to her and took one of her hands. I gave it a gentle squeeze before whispering, "Hold on, 7. I'll save you… I promise."

I gently undid her clasp again, opening her chest. Inside, her soul wire wasn't hard to find. Just below her voice module, a thick black cable had been pushed slightly aside, and the other halves of the red, blue and black wires had been jammed in. I took the red wire that was connected to her and twisted it around the red wire in the orb so the copper filaments were touching. A small spark leapt from one wire to the other, and the orb began to faintly hum.

I was shocked. Maybe this _was _going to work! I hadn't expected to make it this far, but I couldn't stop now.

I took the two blue wires and twisted them together as well. There was another spark this time, but this one was a bit brighter. The humming grew a bit louder. I brought the two black wires together, and held my breath as I twisted the two ends. A third and final spark leapt from wire to wire, and the orb now vibrated.

I placed the buzzing orb next to her soul wire, where it covered the three smaller wires and fit in perfectly. As I stood back to watch, the orb split open again, leaving the green and white core spiraling around her soul wire. It circled around once or twice before settling in on the exact spot where the Scientist had placed his connector cable eleven years ago when she first received her soul.

In a flash, the green light illuminated the cable, then began pulsing. Every few seconds, it would flash a bit brighter. It spread throughout her body, reaching the end of every limb. The pulsing became quicker, now she was glowing nearly the entire time. And finally, the pulsing stopped, and the green light lit up her whole body, then it sank in and faded.

I didn't even know how to feel when I saw her optics flick open. She blinked once or twice before looking directly at me. "…9?"

All I could do was nod speechlessly. Before anything could happen, she propped herself up and wrapped her arms around me in a bone crushing hug. I released the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding and hugged her back. "Don't ever do that again," I whispered into her ear.

She pulled back for a moment, then pressed her lips to mine. This kiss only lasted a second, but it felt like an eternity to me. When she released me, she grinned. "I couldn't if I tried."

The true happiness of just how lucky I am began to come down on me. 7, my beautiful, amazing 7, was _alive! _"This is the happiest day of my life!" I exclaimed. What? I couldn't help it.

"The happiest day of your life _so far," _7 corrected, and we both chuckled.

It was a miracle that she was here with me now, and I barely even had time to ponder it. I was just too happy. "We should tell the twins," I stated. "That you're up. I mean, they didn't… believe… it doesn't matter, let's just go."

I helped her slowly to her feet. She still seemed shaky, but was trying her best to be independent. She looked around a bit, taking in her surroundings. "Uh… do you know where all my gear is?' she asked, looking down at herself.

Now, all that impulsive behavior seemed ridiculous. I don't know why I did all that! Taking away all her possessions like that! I blushed a bit with embarrassment. "I… er, it's outside. Sorry, I just… didn't think you'd be needing it…"

She smiled a bit. "That's all right, 9. I think I'll manage. It's about time I moved on from those silly fripperies."

"You're changing?" I asked.

She nodded. "As long as you wouldn't mind. I just think that the classic independent 7 is getting a bit old. What do you say about getting a new caring, open-hearted, completely free 7?"

I grinned. "I think I like the new 7 a bit better."

She wrapped an arm around my shoulders, leaning on me a bit more for support. "I think we've finally found a place for that skullmet. Without all those machines, we don't really need it now, do we?"

I shook my head. "Nah."

She chuckled a bit, and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. "Oh, 9. You never change."

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

She thought for a second, staring off into space. Her reflective state was broken by a smile. "A good thing. _Definitely _a good thing."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry, I just couldn't live with myself, knowing I killed 7! So, of course, I had to finish thing up like this. There's still an epilogue coming, but it should be up in a few days. It won't be as long as some of the later chapters, I just had to put it in though! And remember to post a comment! For those who do, your feedback is GREATLY appreciated. Ok, thanks! **


	10. Epilogue – 7's Journal

_**Epilogue – 7's Journal**_

_Dear Journal,_

Yeah, I know. You must think I'm crazy, writing this. The twins said something about this all being for _'future generations to enjoy_'. Yeah, right. I just hope no one reads this. Anyway, what should I say?

It's been a year since 9 first awoke now. We celebrated his creation day a bit earlier. He decided to head back to the greenhouse, and when we were over there, it turned out that over the summer, one of the glass panes had smashed, and plant life was now spreading out around the greenhouse and even a bit farther out.

There's quite a bit of grass now, but not many flowers, except for around the greenhouse. It was the twins' first time seeing it, and they loved it.

Of course, we had to exchange gifts. What else are creation days for? The twins gave him a few of their knickknacks, and made him this amazing card. They gave him what they called a paper crane, which I thought was really neat. I don't know how to explain it. You have to see it, I guess.

I wasn't quite sure what to give him, and I've been thinking about it all year, but just a few weeks ago I found this old fancy watch that still worked. He hung it up on the wall for us to share. He's so sweet like that.

Today wasn't only 9's creation day. It also marked about a year since I changed. When I was out searching for his present, I actually came across the burnt remains of my skullmet, and it was odd for me to think that probably nothing from the past year would have happened if I hadn't decided to leave it behind. I mean, it changed my whole life.

9 realizes that I have to be free, but ever since I've left that helmet, I've felt free while I've been with him or the twins. I never find myself running off anymore, and I seem so focused. I like my space, but I also feel like I don't want 9 too far away.

If me from a year ago were to magically appear here, she wouldn't be able to believe what I do here now. I haven't touched a weapon for the full year now. No need to. And she'd never believe it.

Oh, yeah. 3 reminded me that if anyone ever reads this, they'll need more details about the past year. Well, ever since I died, I've known that you have to enjoy life. 9 taught me to be myself, and for the past year, that's all I've done.

I now prefer more creative pursuits. I love painting, and dancing, and hearing 9 sing. He's still convinced he's no good, but I tell you, it would be a shame for the world to never hear his wonderful singing voice.

Even though 9 and I have grown so much closer over the past year, the twins are still two of my best friends in the world. They're always there for me whenever I need someone to talk to, and they always seem to have some new idea of a new thing to learn. Before, I never really cared for reading, but now the twins have shown me that books are for everyone.

Well, enough about the twins. If you're reading this, you probably want to hear about 9! Ever since he taught me to live life to the fullest, I've known that I loved him, and nothing could ever change that. He's my best friend, and I don't think I could live without him.

Last spring, after all the harshness of winter faded, we got married. It was the twins' suggestion, since marriage was described as _'the formal union of a man and a woman, by which they become husband and wife'_. If course, since we didn't want to copy the humans exactly, we came up with our own traditions. 4 helped me make a white lace veil, and 3 gave 9 what he called a 'bow tie'. They wrote their own little speech thing, that was cute, and then they tied our hands together with red string. 4 later told me that I was to symbolize the joining of the two separate souls. Of course, they untied us after we were 'linked', but from that moment on, 9 and I were inseparable.

Later on, just when the seasons were changing from spring to summer, 9 and I decided it was time to raise a child of our own. It was a lot of work for the both of us, and we had of fair share of help from the twins and the _Annuls of Peracelsus_, but by mid-summer, our child was born.

In my eyes, she's the most perfect thing alive. 9 always used to say that about me, and I'd deny it, but now I know exactly how he felt. She's a brilliant combination of 9 and me, since we each gave her a part of our soul. And she has the hugest, most soulful optics you'll ever see. Oh, every time I look at her, I can see her father's curiosity, with a bit of my courage.

She's about three months old now. When you look back to see where 9 was when he was three months, you can say we're letting her enjoy her childhood. It's quite the responsibility, raising a child as rambunctious as her, but I cherish every second.

I almost forgot to mention her name! 9 and I were going to name her something traditional, like maybe 10, or a combo of our numbers, like 79, but we could never really find one name that fit her. And then, it came to me.

We called her ∞, for the infinite number of tasks she can achieve in her life. At one point, I nearly died without completing anything. I didn't want her to end up like me. I knew she would be strong, a fighter from her first breath to her last day. She'd have the most wondrous life, and enjoy every minute of it. I just know it.

I only had time to write all this since she's asleep. She was up all night crying, none of us know why. She's getting better at talking, but she wouldn't tell anyone, not even the twins. She's so beautiful when she sleeps, though. I'm going to include some pictures, but in case they get lost, I'll leave a description of her, too.

So far, she hasn't really achieved any self-goals. Mostly she gets into mischief. Nothing really bad, just getting into little things she shouldn't be. However, I can't bring myself to punish her. She's so young, so innocent! She doesn't know any better. And, she makes up for it with her kindness.

The other day, when 3 fell off the elevator and hurt his leg, she had to rush over to make sure he was ok. When she saw him in tears, she sadly told him, "You cryin'," and stroked his cheek, trying to calm him. 3 wasn't really one to cry, but the impact had shocked him and the pain was bad.

He'd jarred his left knee (lucky it was an easy fix once 9 figured out what it was) and it was all pushed out of the socket. ∞ could see that something was pushing at the fabric of his knee, and told him, "You need a band aid." She went and found 4, who rushed to her brother's aid. 3 was alone, and none of us would've known he was hurt if it weren't for ∞.

She's really small, small enough to fit easily in our arms. Her body is made of this magenta cotton-like fabric, that 9 suggested. It was going to be made of burlap, but he said that she'd want something a bit more feminine.

Her arms and head are made of white cotton. Compared to her, you can really see how sun-bleached and off-color my fabric is. She has a pale pink zipper (the twins found in out in the emptiness) that has a star-shaped toggle at the top.

She has short, sleek light brown hair that only reaches her shoulders. We used the bristles of our softest paintbrush for it. She wears a pink ribbon (just about the same shade as her zipper) almost every day in many different ways. Most times, it's a scarf, but she sometimes puts it in her hair, or wears it as a shawl, or whatever else suits her needs for the day.

Also, she found a sparkly pale pink scrunchie that she sometimes wears as a tutu. I don't know where she got all this fashion stuff, but it's so cute to see her with all her fancies.

I know, I know, I don't seem to be acting like her mother. I never had parents, and if I did, I would want them to listen to me, as well. I'd want them to let me be free, and I would listen to them in return for my freedom.

And don't you dare say anything about 1! He was never a parent or guardian, and he didn't want me to be free. So, I didn't listen to him. However, I had no plans on becoming a 1 to ∞. She deserved all the freedom I craved, and I had no intentions of harshly punishing her for something she regretted doing. I'd like to think of her as a little sibling, but take care of her with a maternal passion.

So, 9 and I will let her govern herself, for the time being. This will probably change, but for now, we want her to choose her own path. It's her turn to find out who she is, and what she's meant to be. However, she has so much of her father in her, I'm sure she'll do great things.

She's already figured out how to understand the twins. They're always teaching her new things, and she loves spending time with them.

9 has always been there for me, always at my side, ready to take action. Even though I've changed, we're still different. The best thing about it is that he's always there to offer a second opinion.

I say that ∞ shouldn't be out on her own, he says she has the right to explore. I say a crib is too confining, he says she can use her imagination.

But we don't fight over these silly little things. I love him too much to. He's still the sweet, curious, clumsy 9 that I fell in love with a year ago.

Well, ∞'s waking up. I better go check on her. I guess this is all for now.

Signed,

_7_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I can hardly believe this is the end! Thank you to all the readers who've stuck with this story throughout the entire time, and an extra special thanks to all who reviewed, TheBlackSwanPrincess, Freida Right, MoonPhantom9, Jirachi Girl, PoppyEMC.6-13, and **ShugoCharaInuyasha**. You guys made this experience so amazing for me, I can't thank you enough! **

**I just had to write the last chapter in journal form. I hope everyone reading liked it, too. But now, again, I'm challenged with the horrible task of starting something new. It's not that I don't have ideas, I have too many! Should I continue with ∞? Or else, do a series of one-shots I've been plotting for a while? Or should I start something completely knew? If you want to suggest anything, feel free. **

**Ok, I think that's all. Thanks again!  
><strong>


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